12-24-2011 Saturday

A Merry Christmas Eve to my friends and family,
I had Chemo #16 last Thursday and it went pretty much without incident. I asked Dr. Masri if the radiologist had added an addendum to the last CT Scan reading. He had. Unfortunately, he had only measured one of the masses when he/they/??? normally measure the three primary masses. I'm guessing that Dr. Masri may be having a word or two with the radiology department!
I did start getting some treatment for my neuropathy and it seems to helping my feet feel better and they don't seem nearly as numb. The treatment is called Anodyne Therapy and basically they put four rubber pads with 60 Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) each on each foot for about 30 minutes. When the system is turned on, the LEDs emit an Monchromatic Infrared Energy (MIRE they call it) that stimulates the cells in that area to release a chemical called Nitric Oxide (NO). The NO caused the blood vessels in that area to dialate which improves circulation and the improved circulation provides the nerves with the blood they need to begin repairing themselves! Whew! Now you know all (and probably more than you wanted to know) about Anodyne Therapy!
The family is all doing well. Melissa is on break from school and Grant and I get the Holiday week off from work too. In case I forgot to mention it before, Grant got a job with the same company that I work for. He is now a Test Technician for DISTek Integration and works on-site at the John Deere PEC in Waterloo. Unfotunately for Catherine and Jody, they are in the health field and, as Catherine says, "We can't catch a break!" Eli cut his second tooth and has learned how to crawl now! I forgot how fast those little knees can scoot once they learn! He is quick!!
Now for this entries Bible Trivia. The question from the last post was: How many son's did Adam and Eve have and what were their names? The answer is: Three and their names were Cain, Abel, and Seth. I think I stumped everyone except my Aunt Elsie and cousin Lois (at least they were the only ones that I heard from). Good job ladies!! Now for this entries question: What language is Jesus believed to have spoken? To share your answer, just pot it in the comments area below this blocg entry. Good luck! :o)
Well, I can't close this entry without thanking God for the many blessings in my life. I know I've had to deal with this crappy disease, but the care given me by the Doctors and nurses, the love shown me by my family, church family, and friends, and the strength and comfort that God has provided are more blessings than I or any of us deserve. What a loving and giving God we have. He is amazing!!
I close by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!
God bless you all, Jace.

12-03-2011 Saturday

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was great, great food (a special thanks to my son Grant for smoking the turkey this year), a chance to share laughter and stories with my own family, Catherine's folks, her brother Roy and wife Alicia and Alicia's Uncle Bob. Some of you might think, "Jace, how can you really feel blessed when you've got cancer!?" Well, I look at it this way. Yes, cancer is now and always will be a part of my life and life experience. But the key is that it is "part" of my life, not the center of my life. And with God's strength, I refuse to let it be the center of my life! -- I had another CT Scan last Monday and my Chemotherapy #15 on Thursday. We went through the normal steps: get blood drawn, pee in a cup, weigh in (I used to hate that part but don't really care too much that I'm a fat man at this point in my life!), blood pressure, pulse, temperature, standard "how are you feeling" questions, and then chat with Dr. Masri. He read the radiology report from Monday's CT aloud and it didn't give any measurements of any of the masses! He pretty said the report was not help as it was and would send the radiolgist an note to MEASURE THE MASSES and append them to the report! He did pull up the CT images from this scan and the previous one visually compared the masses they looked to be the same size and that's what were looking for... shrinking is better, but maintaining is good. We talked about my neuropathy (numbness and pain in my feet) and I showed him some information I had found about a specific brand of electronic neurostimulator (it stimulates the damaged nerves to get them active and working again). He went ahead and set up an appointment for me to talk to the Physcial Therapy group and see what they use, if they knew of this tool, if it works, and in any case, look into settng up some type of therapy for me. I'm hoping they recommend or use the tool as it sounds like it would fit the bill, but they are the experts so I'll wait to see what they say. All in all, I'm feeling pretty well... just tired most of the time, achy muscles, and numb feet! Woo Hoo! -- And in closing, the last entry's Bible Trivia question was: Who cut off the soldier's ear when Jesus was arrested? The correct anser is: PETER. Was that your guess? And for this entry's Bible Trivia question: How many son's did Adam and Eve have and what were their names? Drop me an email, or Facebook message if you think you know the answer. I want to thank all of you all once again for your interest in the progress of my treatments, your prayers and words of support, and I want to thank God for His presence in my life. God bless you one and all, Jace. :o)

11-06-2011 Sunday

Hello everyone, I apologize for not posting more often and I will try to break that bad habit. I'm being somewhat disrespectful for not keeping you better informed and I will try to improve. So, lets get caught up here. I had a CT Scan on 10-17 and Chemo #13 ON 10-20. The treatment went fine and the radiologist report indicated a very slight growth in the masses. At first I was kind of bummed out (since up until then, the masses had been getting smaller) but Dr. Masri explained it this way... He said since I am in maintenance phase of treatments, that slight growth or shape changes are not unusual. He said as long as the growth is less than 20% over the previous size, it is not a concern. He also said that he recently read a study that showed there can be as much a 10% deviation in noted sizes of a mass because of different radiologists and/or different CT Scans done at different times of the day. That made me feel better, although I still feel slightly disappointed. I just leave it all in God's hands. Other than that, my primary symptoms remain fatigue and pain in my feet from the neuropathy. When I last posted I was preparing for the East High Alumni Swing Show. Every performance went great and all I heard from anyone was compliments to everyone involved. It was somewhat exhausting toward the end but I enjoyed the whole experience very much! My family is all doing well. Eli (the cutest grandson in the world!) is 7-1/2 months now, starting to cut his first tooth, up on all fours and rocking back and forth but not quite crawling, and eating cereal, vegetables, and 5 bottles a day!... Oh, and growing like a little weed!! As all grandpas and grandmas know, his laugh is the sweetest sound imaginable!! To close, I'll give you the answer to my last entry's Bible Trivia question. The question was: What were the names of Lazarus' two sisters? The answer is (drum roll): Martha and Mary! Did you get it right? I hope so. The entry's Bible Trivia question is this: Who cut off the soldier's ear when Jesus was arrested? Drop me an email, of Facebook message if you think you know the answer. I want to thank all of you all for your interest in the progress of my treatments, your prayers and words of support, and I want to thank God for His strength throughout this ordeal. The Bible says that God only gives us as much as we can handle with His help, and I believe that now more than ever! God Bless you all.

10-05-2011 Wednesday

Hello everyone. I wanted to wait to post another entry until I got my voice back (I don't know why, you can't hear me anyway!) Anyway I'm over the cold or whatever and am now dealing with last week's chemo kickback. I don't feel too bad this week, just very tired. I did want to tell you that back on Tuesday, 9-27-2011, I had the joy of another MRI. If any of you have had an MRI of your head you know what I'm referring to. Its not painful, but it it really hard to not move your head AT ALL for over an hour! But, I survived and then went to see Dr. Ryken, my neurologist. He looked things over and told me some great news and some maybe not so great news. The great news is that my last MRI showed that my brain tumor was 1x1cm and this latest MRI show that the tumor is now 1/2x1cm! Woo hoo! Still shrinking. The maybe not so good news is that because the tumor continues to shrink so quickly, it may in fact be related to my lung cancer and not a beningn meningioma. Again, not good news but it doesn't really change any treatment approach at this point in time. I'll have to talk it over with my onocologist, Dr. Masri, at my next treatment and see if he would recommend it be treated, and if so when and how. As far as the rest of my life (yes, there is life beyond cancer... its a part of me now but not all of me), things are going well. I am still working, either at home or at JD PEC when I'm up to it, the rest of my family is busy, healthy, and growing... Eli especially! God continues to bless and strengthen me through all of my daily trials... as he does all of us! I have been practicing for the East High Alumni Swing Show which will take place on Thursday October 20th at 7:00PM, Friday October 21st at 11:00 AM & 7:00PM, and on Saturday October 22nd at 7:00PM. I'll be playing electric bass and singing. DON'T MISS IT!! Now, to close with this entry's trivia question. Last entry's question was: What is the shortest verse in the New Testament? The answer is: John 11:35 "Jesus wept." Those of you who responded, all got it correct! Kudos to you! OK, now for this entry's question: What were the names of Lazarus' two sisters? Good luck and God Bless!
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09-19-2011 Monday

Hello all. Kinda felt crappy all day today so I worked from home at least part of the time and took a long nap as well. Somehow I lost my voice starting Friday night and it comes and goes at will. Its not a sore throat or anything, just a coating of really thick mucus. Everybody hungry now?  hehe. I was invited to attend the Iowa - Pitt game this weekend by my brother-in-law Roy (Catherine's younger brother). It worked out great because the comeback touchdowns were scored in the north endzone about 20 yards in front of us! It was so kewl! Thanks again Roy! Nothing else too earth-shattering on the home front. I went and had bloodwork done today and the counts are holding at a good level. Catherine spent today at a quilting class (sounds booooring to me but she loves it and that's what counts). The kids are all good and as usual, Eli is the cutest and smartest grandson in the world! :o) God has truly blessed me. It's easy to fall back and say, "He let me get cancer, how is that a blessing!". But the fact that I have His strength and guidance is the blessing. The fact that I have family and friends who love and pray for me is a blessing. And the fact that I realize my body has failed me and He is the only real strength that I or any of us have is a blessing! Lord we thank you without end! Oops, I almost forgot the trivia portion of this posting. I was asked if you as readers were supposed to respond. You are all welcome to respond... it might actually create some interesting conversation. The last question posted was: What was Paul's original occupation? the answer: Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. Did you get is right? Here is the next question: What is the shortest verse in the New Testament? Good luck and God Bless!  :o)

09-13-2011 Tuesday

Hello again friends,
My apologies for not posting my status in quite some time. It truly was a case of no news was good news. Treatments have been holding the cancer at bay and I didn't think that you would be interested in hearing of my aches and pains over and over. As I think about it though, by not hearing anything you all could be thinking either, "Awesome! He's cured!" or "I'm so sorry he's gone." Well, I'm not gone and I do have more than the mundane to pass on today. Last Thursday I had my 11th chemo treatment and got the CT Scan results from the day before. Now you must keep in mind that my treatment is in the "maintenance" cycle which means that we expect and pray that the chemo keeps the masses from growing again. But this news is much, much better! The radiologist report noted that every mass that he measured had DECREASED in size! They're still shrinking!! My heart thumped hard and tears welled in my eyes when I heard that! Thanks be to God in all of His glory! He is awesome! My body still is very fatigued from the internal battle that continues, but with the prayers and strength of family, friends, and God, we will continue battling! My family continues to do well, with work and school, and my grandson Eli growing like a little weed! He has discovered that he can stand on his legs now and he giggles and smiles all the time (especially at Grandpa!). Today I'm going to add something extra that I thought you might find interesting. My lovely wife Catherine sometimes says that I am a walking encyclopedia of useless knowledge. I simply tell her that she is free to have her own opinion. But not all of that knowledge is useless so... from time to time I am going to add a Bible related trivia question to see how well all of you "know your stuff'". If you guess it, pat yourself on the back. If you don't quess it, too bad, so sad. So, here is the initial trivia question: What was Paul's original occupation? Have an awesome week everyone, thank you all for your continued prayers, and GOD BLESS AMERICA!

07-31-2011 Sunday

Well, it was a good week and has been a good month overall. I had my 9th chemo treatment Thursday which now take only two short hours rather than six or seven. Before treatment, Dr. Masri, Catherine and I went over the radiologists report on my last Monday's CT Scan and looked over the actual scans as well. The report said that the masses are basically unchanged in size or shape, which is a good thing... we just don't want them growing again! Looking at the actual images seemed to indicate (this is just visual mind you) that the scar tissue that was in my lung from when it partially collapsed (at the beginning of this whole adventure) seems to be healing well to the point of disappearing and that the mass on my chest seems to be flattening out and maybe even getting smaller. Again, those are visual observations and not on an official medical report... but its encouraging to me! A little more good news. My feet are starting to feel much less numb and painful. I don't know if its is the ALCAR/ALA suppliment that I've been taking, the steroids that I have to take before treatment, or some combination of those and the passing of time... it doesn't really matter, all I know is that they're feeling better right now! Grant brought Eli to the Cancer Treatment Center during my treatment and we got to watch him that afternoon. He is so cute!... and growing so fast, and he's starting to smile and giggle and coo and blow bubbles and... He's just awesome! The rest of the family is doing well too. We all feel so blessed to have the support of friends and family and church family and most importantly, the love and grace of God in our lives. There are still brief instances when it flashes through my mind, "why me?" But then I look around and see all of the blessings in all of our lives and especially in my own life and I think, "God uses all things for good and this is my opportunity to demonstrate how God's strength and love can bring anyone through even the worst of situations!" God is not just good, God is truly awesome!

07-18-2011 Monday

Hello everyone. I know it's been some time since my last entry but it truly is one of those situations where "no news is good news". I've had another chemo treatment (number 8) over the past month and the side effects seem to be holding pretty steady. The first feeling of total exhaustion hits me on the Monday or Tuesday after my Thursday treatment. It seems to be taking a little longer to get back up to speed unfortunately. I worked from home most of last week only making it in to work on Thursday. As I said in a previous post, I no longer loose my appetite nor does any food or drink taste like crap. My top three side effects are extreme fatigue, achy joints and muscles, and the lingering neuropathy (numbness and pain) in my feet. The neuropathy seems to be improving slightly but it can pick up the pace anytime as far as I'm concerned! Since my last post, my beautiful wife had a birthday on July 4th and my beautiful daugher-in-law Jody had one just yesterday July 17th. Eli, my grandson, is growing like a little weed and now he is starting to smile and giggle and use his voice more and more. Jody said the best birthday present she got was from Eli when he rolled over from back to tummy for the first time! Way to go Eli! One of the nurses at the Cancer Treatment Center asked me the other day, "are you tired of telling everyone that you're tired?" My answer was "YES!" I do appreciate their concern and I'm sure it gets redundant for them to repeatedly ask, "How are you doing?' simply to hear my reply of' "Pretty good... just tired." But at the same time I thank God that I can honestly say, "just tired" rather than, "just horrible" or "I can hardly stand the pain!". You know, the Bible tells us that God only gives us burdens that we can bear with His help. Well, last January I found out that my body was attacking itself and He was immediately there to hold me up when I thought I would fall, to give my body and mind the strength and wisdom needed to battle this devious and deadly enemy, and guide the those who give me love and support and reassure me that I am not in this battle alone. God, I thank you for your love and grace and for your presence in my life. Amen.

06-18-2011 Saturday

Greetings and salutations! : ) It has been quite a busy week. Early Monday morning I went to visit Lynette at Covenant and get another CT Scan of my lungs to see how treatment is progressing. Then on Thursday, Catherine and I headed to the CCTC (Covenant Cancer Treatment Center) for the morning. I had gave blood and urine samples before doing a follow up with Dr. Masri. My blood counts are all holding pretty good and the CT Scan gave us good news. Of the three masses in my right lung, one was quite a bit smaller than the 04-25-2011 CT Scan, one changed to a more round shape and was slightly smaller, and the third had remained the same size. The mass in my left chest/breast was also the same size as well. At first I was kind of disappointed that they hadn't ALL shrunk but Dr. Masri pointed out that I am now in a "maintenance cycle" and the goal is to shrink the masses if possible but to definitely "maintain" their size... we don't those nasty things getting bigger! That made feel alot more positive about the results! After that I had my treament, which only took a couple of hours and then we got to go home. Eli spent the afternoon with us too which made our day even more special! Then, last night I went to the Relay For Life walk at Hawkeye Community College. I was truly impressed! It was extremely organized, free food was provided to cancer survivors (my cancer isn't gone but I am surviving so I'm considered a Survivor) and their caregivers, I got a free "Survivor" t-shirt, and walked my first "survivor lap". Not an event anyone really wants to participate in but it was an honor for me. As we all walked the lap, the spectators and team members applauded all of us all along the route. It felt kind of strange to be applauded for being sick but it was truly moving to have them appreciate the mental and physical strength needed for all of us to become survivors. I also ran into a bunch of old friends and classmates (most of whom were team supporters and not survivors thank the Lord) and got to chat for a while with them. You truly felt the support and compassion of your fellow man and the presence of God. He truly is an awesome God and I believe He is guiding the efforts of researchers to find a cure for this disease. Have a blessed week everone and all you fathers (including my son this year... woo hoo!) have a safe and happy Father's Day. God Bless.

06-13-2011 Monday

Hi everyone. I have a few things to share that I think you will find interesting. To begin, let's start with news of my brain tumor. Last Wednesday morning I had another MRI, my 3rd so far. As I've said before, they are not painful in any way but this time I had to hold my head still - perfectly still - for around 75 minutes! If that wasn't bad enough, I was fighting of the tail end of a cold and swallowed so much to keep from coughing, that I almost ran out of spit! talk about cotton mouth! But God was with me and we made it through with flying colors! Later that afternoon, Dr. Ryken (my neurologist) compared my three MRIs. Even he was somewhat surprised to see that the tumor is now about 1/3 of the size it started at in January! He even said he was going to do some reading on the current studies of the effect of Avastin (one of the drugs I get during my chemo treatments) on benign brain tumors. He also noted that since I don't seem to have any permanent hearing loss or symptoms, he now believes that my tumor is not an acoustic neuroma but a meningioma. Needless to say, with these results, Catherine and I were beyond happy! We know that it is the hand of God guiding my healing, my treatments, and all of those who care for me during this ordeal! Thank you heavenly father!!! As for the cancer, I had another CT Scan this morning and we will review the results with  Dr. Masri (my onocoligist) this Thursday before chemo treatment #7. The side effects on the new chemo cocktail that I receive seem to be much less caustic (for lack of a better word) to my body than the mix used during my induction phase. My biggest complaint at this point is the perepheral neuropathy (numbness/nerve damage) in my feet caused by the treatments during the induction phase. However, as I've said before, I new there would be pain and discomfort going into this situation, and I also know that God is guiding my treatment and my recovery and we all know that God's plan is not always easy to understand. We have become creatures that want immediate satisfaction, but must remember that our ways ARE NOT God's ways nor vice versa. Thank you for your healing strength Lord. To close, I had to include a little about our newest family member... my grandson Eli. He is simply awesome! In addition to being the cutest baby ever, he is now starting to smile a lot and coo, giggle and talk back when you talk to him. Thank you Lord for blessing our family with this source of joy! He is the the boost that we all needed at this time in our lives! God Bless all of you and thank you for your continued support and prayers! Praise Jesus!!

05-31-2011 Tuesday

Hello all. Haven't posted for a while mainly because there wasn't anything too earth shattering to write about. My reaction to the latest "chemo cocktail" was not as severe as the previous mix. I still got tired and achy but I did not lose my appetite nor my sense of taste! Thank goodness... sort of. Since food still tastes good, I have to watch that I don't get into the over-eating habit. But as with this whole experience, all I can do is take one day at a time. My finger-tips and feet are slowly (I stress SLOWLY) starting to loose their numbness. Now it only feels like ONE extra pair of socks instead of two. As I said, my family and I have learned quickly to appreciate each day for itself because even in the best of circumstances, our days with family and friends are limited. But even though they are limited and beyond my control, I have done my best to abandon worrying about it and trust in God. As His word says, "Can all of your worry add even a single day to your life?" To close for today, a quote from the song "Forever": "... for He is good, He is above all things. His love endures forever! Sing Praise!". God bless you all! 

05-14-2011 Saturday

Well, my first week on my new "chemo cocktail" was pretty much like the first week on my original cocktail. I received treatment on Friday (the 6th) and felt pretty good until the exhaustion hit me on Tuesday. Thankfully, I didn't feel nauseous or have any major aches or pains... just really, REALLY tired. The neuropathy (numbness) in my feet is still bothering me a lot but I'm hoping that will begin improving now that I'm off of Taxol. A good thing to pass along to everyone!. On Tuesday, Catherine and I celebrated (sort of) our 31st wedding anniversary. I still find it hard to believe that God blessed me with such a wonderful woman. She has alway been there to keep me grounded and encourage me in even the worst of times. She is truly a Godly woman! I love you babe! By the way, our Relay For Life teams at Prince Of Peace have decided to name the teams in my honor. Thank you so much! This year's teams will be called, "Hicok's Hopefuls". If you have the chance, please consider joining one of the teams or supporting them financially. Their efforts, and all of the teams' efforts, are going toward curing this nasty disease known simply as cancer. With all of us helping, soon the mention of this word will be a thing of the past rather than chemotherapy or radiation treatments or surgeries or... a death warrant. I thank all of you, my family, and most of all my Savior for your continued love and support. God Bless!  : )

05-09-2011 Monday

Well, last Friday I received my first "maintenance" chemo treatment with the Avastin / Alimta combination. Treatment only took about 2-1/2 hours instead of 6 - 7 hours! WOO HOO! So far no major side effects except a few patches of itchy skin and my face is looking a bit like a teenager (zits kinda appearing out of nowhere)! Maybe its the steroids rather than the treatment and they'll go away just as quickly. I finally seem to recovering from feeling exhausted the last two weeks and my appetitie is slowly improving. The only real annoyance right now is the neuropathy (numbness) in my feet. I feel like I've got a couple of pair of socks on all the time! They don't hurt unless I'm standing or walking too long but like I said, the numbness gets really annoying. But if that is the worst side effect that I'll get, I feel pretty blessed. One other note to pass along. Although he and I were not close and had not actually spoken in more than ten years, my Dad passed away in Colorado Friday afternoon from pretty extensive lung cancer. He had known about it for several years and had chosen not to receive any treatment. As I said, we weren't close but I am sorry he had to suffer the pain he did and I'm glad that the suffering has ended for him. I don't know if he had accepted Jesus, but I pray that God extended him His mercy. Rest in peace Dad. As I close today, I want to thank God for all of the parents (and adults in general) that shape and guide our lives in positive ways. Imagine how much better our world would be if all of our children's examples modeled themselves after God and demonstrated God-centered lives rather than self-centered lives. Have a blessed and Godly week everyone! : )

05-03-2011 Tuesday

Sorry for my delay in posting my latest. I have no excuse except for procrastination! In any case, the news Friday was good. The radiology report comparing my last CT Scan and the one from mid-March says that the masses continue to slowly shrink! Thank you Lord God and thank you all of my friends and family that continue to keep me in their prayers. Now my treatment changes over to maintenance phase. I agreed to be on a study in which the random choices were Avastin (which stops the blood supply to the masses) or Alimta (which robs the cancer cells of folic acid when they're ready to divide and cells that don't divide simply die) or a combination of Avastin and Alimta. And the random choice (chosen by a computer somewhere) chosen for me was... drum roll please... the Avastin and Alimta combination! I was praying for this result. Not that I know it will work better than the other choices, but that if I'm going to be kind of a "guinea pig" (so to speak) in a study, I would prefer that I actually test the choice that is being tested! Besides, it would seem to make sense that a two-pronged attack would be a more effective treatment (as long as the side effects aren't too horrible!) Because of the Alimta I have to get periodic B12 shots and take folic acid tablets daily. My first actual chemo treament with this combo is this Friday (which should only take two hours instead of six or seven). Dr. Masri is also switching me over to coumadin (a blood thinner tablet) and off of Lovenox (a blood thinner shot). So temporarily, I'm on both until they get the coumadin dosage figured out. (An interesting and somewhat shocking fact... the Lovenox shot that I currently inject twice a day are around $100 per shot! Thank goodness my employer has good insurance coverage! It gives you a whole new perspective on those that are NOT insured!!) As I said earlier, I thank all of my friends and family who are providing the power of prayer for my treatment and recovery. Only by your love and support and the grace and will of God do I have even a glimmer of any hope in defeating this disease. I truly believe that God has more of His work for me to do here on earth. And if He doesn't, then I know that I have a place in His Kingdom! It is truly a win-win situation! God Bless you all.

04-27-2011 Wednesday

Well, I had a CT Scan done early Monday morning (thanks Lynette) and then went back home because I was feeling pretty wiped out. About 8:30, Dr. Masri's office called and said that he wanted to see me right away because the radiologist saw something "disturbing" on the scan. Needless to say a thousand things flashed through my head, most of them not good, and some just plain horrible! I went in and had the normal follow up stuff done... blood work, temp, BP, etc. Then I talked to Dr. Masri and he showed me what the "disturbing" thing on the scan. It seems that I have a Pulmonary Embolism (Blood Clot) in one of the secondary arteries of my right lung. He explained that it could be caused by the chemo drugs, the Avastin (another drug in my chemo treatments) or simply as a part of disease/treatment. In any case, I now have to give myself shots of Lovenox (a blood thinner) twice a day. Not great news but not as bad as I was trying to prepare for either. I thanks God for helping me to stay reasonably calm and absorb the situation with Him by my side. He is always by our side. It's just that most times, we are too busy with our own thoughts and supposed solutions that we don't stop to listen to His guiding words and strength. Thank you Lord for being there for me and forgive me for my weaknesses and ignorance. 

04-24-2011 Sunday

Greetings everyone. I haven't posted for a while simply because I didn't think it would be of interest for you to hear about the day-to-day aches and pains that you have heard about before. I'm not saying that I don't think you care. I know that is not the case. It just becomes tedious to hear the same thing over and over again. I just noticed today's date. It is exactly three months ago today that I found out that the masses in my lung and breast/chest were adenocarcinoma. I remember how devastaed I felt. My hopes felt crushed and I wondered if I would even be alive in three months. But once I got over the shock and my own self-pity, I turned it all over to God and left it in His hands. Treatment has not been easy by any means but it has also not been as devastating as I thought it might be. This week will be a busy, anxious, and perhaps life changing week. I get another CT Scan tomorrow and on Thursday will find out if my treatment has been effective or not. If it has been working, I have agreed to go into a study which will determine what chemo drug or drugs will be used during my initial maintenance series of chemotherapy treatments. If it hasn't been working, then my onocoligist and I will have to discuss where treatment will go from here. Obviously, I hope that treament has been effective (and part of me prays that this cancer is gone completely... but I must be realistic as well as hopeful). In any case, all I can really do is ask God to guide this entire situation acording to His infinite wisdom and devine will. I believe that He has more of His work for me to do here on earth but if that is not the case, I am sure, because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and His resurrection that we celebrate this very day, that I will have a place in God's holy kingdom. He is risen! He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

04-10-2011 Sunday

Runnin' a little slow this week. Sorry. Anyway, this week was chemo week. I had my last induction session (4th treatment of the first round of treatments) on Thursday. Another all day 9:00AM - 4:00PM experience. Catherine has been a trooper and stayed with me on each of those long days. Thanks babe! Melissa and Courtney came to vist and so did Grant, Jody, & Eli. Thanks to all of you. Rose Schaffer from church (Prince of Peace) also visited for a good part of the morning and presented me with a prayer quilt made by the members of the sewing group at POP and personalized for me. That was so nice of them! Without God's strength, my family's love, and the prayers and support of my church family and friends, I know that I couldn't have made it through this ordeal. Thanks to all of you! The treatments are hitting me a little earlier than they did at first with my energy, appetitie, and taste buds the first things to go. I have a feeling that I may be working from home the better part of this week. But, I know God will help me through it. Remember everyone, that next week is Holy Week ending with the celebration of our Savior's resurrection on Easter Sunday. We must never, ever, EVER forget his sacrifice!! He gave his life that we might live in God's kingdom when our time here on earth is done. Don't forget to thank him and serve him every day and in every way. That IS our purpose for being! God Bless everyone! Have an awesome week!

04-02-2011 Saturday

This was a typical "between treatment" week for me this week. Felt good enough to work 4 of the 5 workdays (was kinda wiped out Friday so I worked from home). My lack of appetite and taste (food tasting good that is) began earlier and lasted longer unfortunately. I am also starting to get a little neuropathy (numbness) in my fingers and toes. I hope it doesn't progress too fast! I am not going to complain about a little discomfort though. I could be feeling much worse! The good news this week is that my grandson Eli got to come home from the hospital on Wednesday. He was eating much better and his blood sugar straightened out so they said he could go home! Jody & Grant and ALL of us were so happy. Even better, I got to babysit him this morning for an hour or so. He is SOOOO cute I can barely stand it! If I didn't already feel blessed by the strength and healing God has me and my family through this whole cancer thing, He blessed us with Eli as well! God is truly awesome! I'll close with a quick thought (this is an observation and not directed toward anyone). Think about those you know that don't have God in their life. Did you ever notice that they tend to be really self-centered when they're not God-centered? Pray for them please. God bless you and yours.

03-26-2011 Saturday

As you probably know by now, the big news this week was that on Tuesday the Hicok family welcomed our newest addition, my grandson Eli Alexander Hicok. He was in the NICU (neonatal ICU) the last few days with an IV to get his blood sugar up to par. Not a serious situation or anything. The medical staff just wanted to be sure he's strong and stable and ready for his new life when he goes home (which should be late this afternoon or tomorrow). By the way (I know, I know... grandpas are biased), he is just perfect!! As far as my own situation, if was not a great week. I was pretty exhausted most of the week, had very little appetite, most everything tasted BLAH! and I has to deal with some "lower digestive issues" if you get my drift. On the other hand, I didn't actually get sick, had no nausea, and was able to work from home (thanks again to Deere PEC and DISTek for allowing me to do so). My taste buds are starting to return, so next week should be business as usual and I plan to work all week... God willing. As I close today, I must thank God for all of the blessings in my life. Yes, I have to deal with this crappy disease and eventually the brain tumor, but God has blessed me with loving and supportive family and friends and with His grace and strength to help be through this unpleasant chapter of my life. I think back and remember that I received my first chemotherapy treatment on my 52nd birthday and thought at the time that it was kind of fitting. With God's help, it was a rebirth... a realization of how weak we humans really are and how awesome God really is. God Bless you all.

03-22-2011 Tuesday (Welcome Eli)

Greetings everyone. Up until now, these entries have all related to my illness, treatment, and recovery. Well, today's entry is a little different. I have the joy of announcing that today at 4:04pm, Catherine and I welcomed our grandson, Eli Alexander Hicok, into the world and the Hicok family. He weighed 6 lb. 12.5 oz. and was 19.5 in. long. Oh, and he is BEAUTIFUL! Jody (my beautiful daughter-in-law) was having some BP and liver enzyme issues. She went into the hospital to get those monitored and they found that her urine proteins were also on the rise (these are all warning signs for preeclampsia). The doctor decided the time was right and Eli was delivered by C-Section. He was a few weeks early, but he's a healthy pink with dark hair and all his fingers and toes! Mommy & Daddy (Grant) are doing well too! PRAISE BE TO GOD!

03-19-2011 Saturday

It was a good week this week. Monday I went in for a follow up CT Scan at 6:45AM! I had the scan done and was still at work before I usually get there. Lynette greeted me with her usual smiling face, she and Camie set me up, ran the scan, and Lynette walked me out to the hall, and sent me on my way with another smile. What a gal! I worked the rest of the week except Thursday... Chemotherapy Session #3. Before treatment they always draw blood & get a urine sample (the blood counts are all staying within normal ranges... Hooray!). Then they take my BP, temp, and history updates. Then Dr. Masri came in and went over the blood counts and vitals... and then good part! He compared my original CT from January with one done on Monday. Great news! It appears that all of the masses are smaller by about 1/3 and others by possibly a little more! Also, because of the masses, there had been several partial portions of my lung that had collapsed (No wonder I was having shortness of breath!). Most of these have recovered almost completely! DO WE HAVE AN AWESOME GOD OR WHAT!!! With a medical staff caring for me that have been blessed with their knowledge & skills (& compassion), the love & prayers of our friends & church family (or maybe that should be 'faith family') & my own family, and most of all with God love & strength on my side, this nasty disease inside of me is loosing strength! Thank you all for your love and prayers and God for His presence in my life!!

P.S. Just a little FYI. I checked how much fluid (medicine, saline, etc.) that I got via IV this treatment and it was about 1850 ml (over about a 6 hour period). Thats almost a full 2-liter bottle of liquid or just under a half-gallon! Just thought you might be interested. : )

03-12-2011 Saturday

This was a good week overall. I worked full days every day except Wednesday. I was a pretty tired boy by the end of those days but with God's help I made it through. I didn't work on Wednesday because I had and MRI in the morning and an appointment with Dr. Ryken, my neurologist, in the afternoon. No issues with the MRI. Its simply a matter of not movving your head (AT ALL!) for over an hour. (At least you get to pick the music you want to listen to. A little oldies this time.) The appointment with Dr. Ryken went well. From the morning's MRI images, he determined that my brain tumnor is an "acoustic neuroma". It is located between the left inner ear and the brain stem. He thought the tumor was either the same size or slightly smaller. He said it is likely that the steroid (dexamethasone) that I get before my chemo treatment could have shrunk it slightly. He said it could also be affected by one of the drugs (Avastin) I get during chemo. In any case its not getting bigger which means it is benign (thank you Lord!) and treatment can be delayed while the cancer treatment takes center stage. On another subject, I've had quite a few people at work (PEC) ask me about my new "hair style" (or lack thereof). Needless to say, when I tell them that I've been diagnosed with lung cancer and the chemo made buzzing my hair necessary, they are shocked but also very supportive. I can't help but thank God for all of the good people in my life, my church family, my own family and most of all, His presence in my life. Each of us is blessed in so many ways. Please take time to thank God every day!   

03-05-2011 Saturday

Well, this week had no real events worth noting. There weren't any doctor appointments or CTs or MRIs or anything too noteworthy (I was prescribed a med to control my blood pressure but that I kind of expected). So, I thought I would share some of some of the unpleasant things (cons) and then good things (pros) that have become a part of my life... at least for this week. Lets see... unpleasant things... CON: Most mornings I wake up with at least a slight headache. PRO: They are not debilitating (but definitely irritating!) CON: For several days this week I've had at least some level of "loose bowels" (I know GROSS! but I thought you should know). PRO: Immodium works really fast! CON: As you know, my hair is now absent. PRO: We're saving on shampoo. CON: This week I don't have much of an appetite and almost everthing tastes kinda salty. PRO: Bananas, vanilla ice cream, and yogurt rock! CON: My mouth has gotten sore and sensitive. PRO: A softer toothbrush is better for my teeth and gums. CON: Every kind of fast growing cell in my body is taking a big hit from the chemo... hair, fingernails, mouth, etc. PRO: The cancer cells are getting hit even harder!! Lord, thank you for all those who help my body fight this disease, thank you for all those who love me and pray for me, thank you for my family, church family, and friends, and thank you most of all for Your presence in my life!! Throught Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

02-26-2011 Saturday

Feeling pretty good today. Not much of an appetite but I've been forcing myself to eat healthy stuff and drink lots of water! Yesterday, I washed my hair in the shower and noticed that LOTS of it was in the shampoo lather. So, I rinsed and then just rubbed my head under the shower stream for a few minutes. When I shut the shower off, about 3/4 of my hair was in the tub! This morning, when washed my hair in the shower most of the rest fell out. So, this afternoon, I buzzed what was left! It was a little weird to look at my head with no hair at first but I'll get used to it. I'm surprized how sensitive my scalp is to warm and cool and how shiny the skin is! Lord, thank you for not giving me a head thats shaped too weird. Amen!

02-24-2011 Thursday

Catherine and I spent the day at the Cancer Treatment Center for Chemotherapy Treatment #2 today. Another all day session. Jody came to visit but Grant had to work and Melissa has a bad cold. The treatments went well until that last one. They pushed it at a little faster rate this time, and my blood pressure went up and my pulse jumped into the 120's. Nothing dangerous and I felt fine but I had to watch my levels tonight to be sure they came back down (which the did). Brenda (my awesome nurse!) told me to start taking B6 vitamins to prevent numbness and loss of feeling in my fingertips and toes (there is a medical name but I can't remember it) which is a possible side effect of Taxol (one of the chemo drugs that I get). She also told me to apply Tea Tree Oil to my fingernails and toenails because sometimes the nails will separate from the nail bed and possibly fall off and apparently Tea Tree Oil can prevent that from happening. I would rather that NOT happen thank you very much! As always, I thank God for getting us through another treament and another day. He truly does pour His blessings out on us every day and we so often take them for granted!

02-18-2011 Friday

I felt good enough to go into work everyday and work through the whole day! (A couple of those days I was running out of energy believe me!) I must admit I didn't do much in the evenings though... I was pretty much wipped! It was good to get back into a semi-normal routine and see all of my co-workers on a regular basis again. Health wise, I started getting a better appetitie and not as achy. However, the one thing that I knew would happen but didn't really want to admit started late in the week... my hair started falling out. Little by little so far, but it will continue. Oh well, It's not like I had long hair anyway. I got a nice surprise from a bunch of my DISKek "family". They all signed a really nice card and gave me gift cards to Amazon and Papa Murphy's! What a great group!! Thanks again all of you! And I can never for get to thank God. I do every day! I don't feel so overwhelmed anymore. I believe that God has more in store for me to do here on earth. And if thats not in His plan, then I've got a place in His Kingdom. We all do when we accept Jesus Christ.

02-13-2011 Sunday

Went to church today and sang with the worship band. When we went to church last week, I took one of my nausea pills to be sure I wouldn't get sick at church. Unfortunately, the pill also caused me to get VERY drowsy! I barely made it through church and lunch with the family. No more of those pills unless absolutely necessary! It was great to feel good enough to sick with the band! And I have to let everyone know that my/our church family at Prince of Peace has simply been awesome! We've been gettin cards and hugs and emails and hugs and calls and hugs!! Everyone has just... treated Catherine and our family and me beyond what ever expected. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! (By the way, if you're reading this and looking for a church home and family, you need look no farther!) Thank you God for all of your blessings and strength and forgiveness and love!!

02-11-2011 Friday

I worked from home all this week. Thank's again DISTek and Deere for allowing me to do so and God because I have a job that gives me that opportunity. No major sickness throughout the week. I had some "lower digestive track" issues (if you get my drift) which made things a little uncomfortable but nothing else too major. I just feel very tired, kinda achy, and not too much of an appetite. I had another blood test this afternoon and everyone was happy to see that my counts were still in the normal range... lower but still accepatable. Chemo tends to overwork the blood cells so they thought they might have to give me a shot to kick by bone marrow into gear to produce more. But they didn't have to so... HOORAY! So far my tubby little body is working well enough to keep up with the demand! Every little thing like this convinces me more and more that God truly is in control of this situation (and all of our lives) and it's best to let He and the Doctor's and great nurses do their jobs!

02-07-2011 Monday

Catherine walked over to meet me for my 8:00 AM appointment with Dr. Ryken in the Covenant Clinic building. He went over the MRI and confirmed Dr. Rotenberg's tumor type diagnosis. He said he estimated the tumor to be about 2.5cm and located between the auditory canal and the brain stem on the left side. I told him that I was getting my hearing back and he thought that was probably because of Deximethizone (steroid) that I had to take for the chemo. He agreed that the cancer treatment should take precidence since the brain tumor is a slow growing type. He said that surgery was possible but it would probablu take 6 hours just to get to the tumor and that recovery would be at least 4 - 6 weeks. He thought the more likely treatment would be Stereotactic Radiation which is a computer and image guided technique that directs radiation only at the tumor. We also discussed the fact that one of my chemo drugs (called Avastin) has been shown to be effective on benign brain tumors as well as malignant tumors... so maybe we'll actually be treating both of my tumor types at the same time! God does work in mysterious ways! Thank you Lord for putting a little more hope into this once completely dire situation! You truly are an awesome God!!

02-03-2011 Thursday

Today is my 52nd birthday. It is also my first day of chemotherapy! Talk about irony! Treatment went really well. Catherine and I arrived about 9:30, my actual treatment started around 10:45, and they flushed my port with saline and pulled me off around 5:00. Thankfully, I had no reactions to any of the meds which everyone is thankful for. By the way, my nurse, Brenda, is just awesome! Grant and Jody came around 11:00 and had lunch with us stayed till around 1:00. Then Pastor Dapelo came and visited. Melissa and Courtney came and Pastor talked for a little while and prayed with all of us before he left. Then Melissa left around 3:00. It was a long day but it was nice to visit with everyone and experience their support and love. I don't know how, but God uses those times of trial and tribulation to bring out the best in people. He truly is an awesome God and I have an awesome family!!

02-01-2011 Tuesday

Remember a few posts ago I said that i kind of felt like Job? Well, today that feeling washed over me once again. Dr. Masri called me today and told me the results of the MRI. I could hardly believe it but after this last couple of weeks, nothing seems to shock me too terribly. The results were that in addition to the cancer, I also have a brain tumor. Dr. Masri scheduled an appointment this afternoon with Dr. Rotenberg who is an ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) specialist and and appointment on Friday with Dr. Ryken who is a neurologist (nervous system including the brain). At the appointment with Dr. Rotenberg an audiologist checked my hearing and Dr. Rotenberg went over the MRI. He said he believed that the tumor was a Meningioma or a Acoustic Neuroma both of which are slow-growing, benign (non-cancerous) tumors. He didn't believe that the cancer and this tumor had anything to do with one another... they just happened to happen at the same time. In a way, this tumor probably saved my life. Had it not affected my hearing, I probably would not have gone to see Dr. Bickley and the cancer would not have been discovered for who knows how long! Talk about God working in mysterious ways!! Dear God, give me strength!!

01-31-2011 Monday

After working most of the day today, I went to Advanced Diagnostic Imaging (ADI) here in Waterloo for an Magnestic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The MRI was ordered to try and determine what is causing my loss of hearing since the presribed medication isn't helping. As with the PET Scan, the MRI wasn't painful or anything but... I was required to lie PERFECTLY STILL... with a cage over my face... inside a tube... with this big machine humming and banging and buzzing... for almost AN HOUR. Not my idea of a good time believe me! At least I could listen to some music this time! Once again, God and I had a nice chat. I know that our God is an awesome God, but his experience has brought me to a whole new level of faith! Thank you Lord for all my blessings! My beautiful wife, my great kids, my caring friends, and most of all... your presence in my life!!

(P.S. I forgot to include that I had an hour long surgery last Friday to install an "Infusiport". It is a needle port implanted under the skin on my right chest with a catheter (tube) that runs through my jugular vein to my heart. This allows them to run my chemo drugs into a large vein and prevent the chemo from damaging the smaller veins at the normal IV sites.)

01-26-2011 Wednesday

Today Catherine and I met with my onocologist (cancer doctor) Dr. Masri. Grant and his wife Jody ( who works a coder for the CCTC sat in on the appointment as well. Dr. Masri showed us the results of the PET Scan which basically showed that all of the masses that had been found were malignant (active cancer cells were present). He said that because the cancer had metastisized outside of the lung, my cancer is diagnosed as Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma. Because the cancer is "on the move", surgery and radiation would not be effective because they would be a "hit and miss" approach at best. So, chemotherapy (chemo) is the treatment that will be taken. I'll start the initial 4 treatment (every 3 weeks) cycle next week. After that, I will be CT scanned again to see if the chemo is stopping or shrinking the cancer and further treatments will be determined from those results. Emotionally, everyone in the family (including me) seems to have come to grips with the situation and are putting our trust in the skills and knowledge that God gave the doctors and nurses and of course in God Himself. The Bible tells us that God only gives us burdens that we can handle with His help. When this all started I was ready to fall apart, but He took the load and gave me strength!

01-25-2011 Tuesday

This morning Catherine and I went to the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center (CCTC) and I had a PET Scan. PET stands for "Positron Emission Tomography". Basically I had to fast from all carbohydrates (sugars and starches) from dinner on last night. Then this morning, the technician injected me with "radioactive sugar water" and I had to lie still for about 45 minutes. During that time, the cancer cells (which multiply quickly and need lots of energy) sucked in those radioactive carbs for energy. Then for the next 45 minutes or so they run the PET Scan which shows the now radioactive "hot spots" in my body. None of this process is painful or anything except for being required to lie still for almost 2 hours with nothing to read, watch, or listen to. Needless to say, God and I had a nice long chat. Thank you Lord for giving me patience and strength.

01-24-2011 Monday

I went to work as usual today and tried to concentrate on my tasks. Catherine called me around 2:00 PM and asked if I had heard from the Doctor yet. I hadn't, so I called Dr.Wait's office and left a message. About 15 minutes later he returned my call and told me what I hoped I wouldn't hear. The biopsy results were that I have Adenocarcinoma... I have lung cancer. How I held it together, I don't really know, but I called Catherine back, and then Melissa and Grant (my son). I told my co-workers the outcome, finished out the day in somewhat of a daze, and drove home in silence...  

01-21-2011 Friday

Unfortunately, there is no word from the biopsy today or for the weekend either. Sleep has dropped to a few hours a night... I eat because I have to keep up my strength... Emotionally, to deny the situation has passed so I bounce between anger, bargaining, & depression. We don't have enough answers yet to allow acceptance to happen. This has been a week unlike any that I EVER could have imagined. I feel like Job from the Bible. God must be testing my faith. My human body has failed me... Only God is the constant. Cards, calls, and prayers have poured in from family, church family, and friends. THANK YOU ALL. I have always thought of prayer as kind of the "octain booster" to God's already awesome power. If He is for me, who (or what) can be against me!! Keep Catherine in your prayers... God is my STRENGTH but she is my ROCK!

01-20-2011 Thursday

Catherine (my rock through all of this!) and I again head to Covenant for yet another appointment. This morning I will undergo a CT assisted biopsy. Basically they shave and numb an area of my left chest and use CT Scans to guide the radiolgist with a little clamp-on probe gizmo in taking cell samples for testing. Again Lynette McNamee is there to do her job and keep me at ease at the same time. After about an hour, I put my shirt back on to head home and Catherine heads back to work. We and Lynette had a nice chat about her daughter Kelsey's attitude and outlook on life (Kelsey Lee has been battling leukemia off and on for some time) and the leaps and bounds in cancer treatment over the years. Thank you Lynette for your words of hope, thank you Catherine for your love and compassion, and thank you God for your strength and comfort.

01-19-2011 Wednesday

This morning we met with Dr. Wait and he showed us the actual results of the CT Scan. The three masses in my right lung are approximately 2.2, 2.6, & 3 cm in size and an additional 2 cm mass. The mass on/in my left chest/breast is approximately 1.7x3.6 cm with an additional 1.5 cm nodule involving the left breast. Dr. Wait explained that obviously these are fast-growing masses and that in his experience, treatment would probably be very effective. He numbed an area above the left chest/breast mass and performed a needle biopsy for testing. My daughter Melissa had joined us after her class and had a nice chat with Dr. Wait. We all head home after the appointment still in a state of unbelief. Now its my turn to pass along bad news and I send emails to DISTek (the company that I work for) explaining the recent happenings. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Wait's office called and told us that the samples he took did not contain any viable cells (only fat and fluid). He had me scheduled for a CT assisted biopsy for Thursday morning. The news isn't getting any better! God's strength and the prayers and support of family are what is keeping me going at this point.

01-18-2011 Tuesday

Catherine and I went to Covenant to have a CT Scan of my chest done. Lynette McNamee and Ellen Morris (part of the CT group at Covenant and good friends) helped me through the process and eased by anxiety. Thanks ladies! Dr. Bickley's nurse called later in the morning and said that the Doctor would like to talk to us about the results at 2:00 PM. We met with Dr. Bickley and he told us that the x-ray showed and CT confirmed three masses in my right lung and one on my left chest/breast. He had already scheduled an appointment with a surgeon, Dr. Wait, for the next morning. We head home in virtual silence and disbelief. Catherine begins the torture of calling our family and telling them what is happening. She is my shoulder and God is my strength.

01-17-2011 Monday

My left ear had been plugged for a couple of weeks so my darling wife Catherine convinced me that we should go to the Doctor so I can get it treated. In our conversation with Dr. Bickley, I mentioned that I wanted him to re-fill my Lasix (a diuretic - water pill) prescription as I am still having some shortness of breath. Dr. Bickley prescribed an antihistamine for my ear and ordered a follow-up chest x-ray "just to be safe" (my x-ray from March '10 was clear). That afternoon, Dr. Bickley's nurse called and said that the radiologist saw something on the x-ray and that I have a CT Scan scheduled for Tuesday morning as an x-ray follow up. Needless to say fear, worry and questions begin to set in. What is happening!?

Welcome family & friends

This blog was created to help in keeping family and friends informed of my (Jace's) health status, events and appointments, results and reactions. It was also created to share the joys, thoughts, and concerns of the rest of my family and close friends with those who might be interested or concerned and want to share their prayers and support and encouragement with the whole family.