News...

Daniel

...is on his way home from Germany. He will be here (Maryland) this evening- we keep on praying for his recovery. He is truly a Hero, like all the men out there fighting to end terrorism!!! :D

Dad

...had an OK weekend. We had a very eventful one. Went to the Jorge's house on Friday for Nina's very first birthday party. It was great seeing friends and family, but dad left early because of pain.

Saturday we had my engagement celebration at my parents house and it was FABULOUS. We worked hard and it all worked so well. A BIG, HUGE thank you for you MOM- you did most of the work and made sure this was a special moment for me and Mike--- I love you sooo much...
Dad made a beautiful speech, I hope I will be able to share this on here as well soon. It was just so meaningful and beautiful- THANK YOU DAD--- you are the best! Mike's dad gave a great speech as well and said "PHILIPP, you WILL be here to see your grandchildren grow!!!" Oh tears... but happy ones...
Dad was ok for most of the time, he got tired after some time and went to lay down and get some rest. His legs have been hurting alot.

So far this week he is feeling no nausea, just pain--- :( But he is strong, and will remain strong. Friday he is due for chemotherapy- start of a new cycle. The cycle that WILL cure him... God please heal my father!!

That is it for now- I will have more good news coming soon---- after all, we are praying for that, aren't we?

Praying for you DANIEL...

We are with you Daniel, in thought and in prayer... be strong...

And see you soon....we LOVE you!

Thank you for being a HERO!!

When it rains, it pours...

... but sun will soon shine again...

Yesterday dad had a good day overall. His legs are hurting him now, but he got out of bed, even left the house!!- :)

We have a lot to look forward to this weekend... I went to the mall with Nessa to find a dress, we had so much fun...until we got home...

Bad news- not from dad but from Vanessa's dear boyfriend who is in the U.S. Marines, fighting the war in Afghanistan. We received a phone call from his parents yesterday saying Daniel was hit by a bomb. :*( There are three stages- injured, serious condition, and critical condition. Daniel is in serious condition and is flying to Germany at the moment to seek medical help. We don't know too much yet... So today and for the next few weeks we will be praying for Daniel's full recovery and for his family- that they may find comfort and strength in the hands of God.

We are all in shock, but trying to be strong for one another... so much going... Now I understand the saying- "when it rains, it pours"...

But I know there is a reason for it all... and I know happy days are coming our way...

Updates...

Dear friends and family, I want to first thank you for the continuous prayers... Prayer is so powerful and it is pulling us through.

Pain- The usual, but for the most part he is feeling no pain. The pain in his back has never gone away, so that is still there, but it is under control with medicine.

Nausea- He has been nauseous all week so far, but he has not vomited, and he has been eating really well. Mom made shrimp with pasta last night- DELICIOUS.

Chemotherapy- Yesterday he went to the hospital to get chemotherapy, but was unable to be given any. This would have been the last injection of this cycle. The reason why he could not get any is because his blood platelet count was way too low. This is also known as Thrombocytopenia. Platelets (thrombocytes) are colorless blood cells that play an important role in blood clotting. Platelets stop blood loss by clumping and forming plugs in blood vessel holes.

His new treatment has been known to cause thrombocytopenia in patients. The nurse called this morning saying he will only go back to receive chemo again on the 30th. Which we think he will be starting a new cycle of chemo. His blood should go back to normal as we go. Everything else in terms of blood counts have improved since last week- so yay!!


Physiotherapy?? - I am trying to convince my dad that he needs to do some physiotherapy. He has been in bed most of the time for the past week or so, causing muscle atrophy- lost alot of his muscles, his legs are too thin, which makes him weak. I know exercise is extremely important when treating cancer as well. So let's cross our fingers he will agree to see a physiotherapist.

We do not know yet how the cancer is responding to the treatment, but we continue to think positive... We keep playing the ball forward- attacking... and hopefully soon score a goal!

God will make a way...

God is good.

For the first time this past Saturday I heard my dad say "I feel no pain"- need I to explain how happy that made me feel inside? God hears our prayers and fills our lives with miracles and goodness everyday... Dad has been laying off on the morphine since Friday evening and is feeling no pain!!!! I continue to ask God to help my dad...and thank everyone from the heart for all the prayers...

Unfortunately he has been feeling nauseous since Sunday. Chemotherapy-- why can't they find remedy without harsh side effects? ...He seems to be OK so far this Monday...

You know I came across some people who said "Oh that is such a horrible disease, I am so sorry, that is terrible".... bla bla bla... STOP! Granted this is a hard disease to treat you don't have to talk as if there should be no hope. We do not care what science books say, or what life expectancy the Internet may provide you with... This is my dad, and clearly some people do not understand that he is a fighter, and that we are here with hope and with faith and with a smile on our face... we will beat this beast... I know I can talk for myself, I don't want peoples pity without hope, or negative comments....NO I just want reassurance, hope, smile... because HE IS ALIVE and HE IS WELL and HE IS FIGHTING... Can't people show sympathy in a hoping way? (this does not apply to anyone who is reading this blog, so don't worry ;) Sorry, I get frustrated sometimes...)

Speaking of HOPE... me and my family do a prayer from a Brazilian channel. It is 30 minutes long and it is everyday. Its called the NOVENA DOS FILHOS DO PAI ETERNO. You pray for a week as a cycle of prayers, then you start again the following week with another one... Just a continuous prayer... It is so good. They show testimony of people who have received God's mercy and grace in their lives. Yesterday a woman gave her testimony- She was suffering from bone cancer and plasma cell cancer. She was doing the NOVENA everyday...She got a bone marrow transplant and is now CURED- even doctors can't believe that she is cured... I question, is this God giving us an answer? A sign? Regardless, we continue to BELIEVE...

Some may call this coincidence... I call this the working hands of a LOVING GOD!

I have a feeling this will be a great week!! :D

God will make a way....

God has a meaning....

Things don't just happen for absolutely no reason. God knows the reason, even though we have a hard time seeing it... For example, Tuesday while it took forever to get pain killers at the hospital, a doctor came in and told my dad that maybe he should go on morphine for some time. Since then he is feeling better... So when things are bad, know that there is also something good coming... Things happen because they are meant to happen...I don't believe in coincidence. I personally think its weak to believe in it...

So...Dad had a much better day yesterday and so far even better today. Seems like morphine is really doing the trick for him. He even got out of bed today... With some help. His legs are a bit weak. Amazing how quickly you can lose your muscles... only three days in bed...But he will try and walk a bit today... start building those muscles back...

We keep on cheering him on.
We never lose hope, and faith, even in times of despair...
And that is the key to survive in life...

Hope I can continue to post more good news the weeks to come...

Pain and New chemotherapy

Yesterday started out very troublesome... I woke up & took the dogs out to pee as I do everymorning when I saw my mom and she told me "go see your dad he didnt sleep at all last night."... (Im so glad I am living at home right now...) When I got in the room to see him he was shivering due to extreme pain. I then started to massage him in the hopes it would go away. But it didnt. Calling off work was what I needed to do. My parents needed me... And so we fed him more pain killers and Lorazepan so he could get some rest. He slept for a couple of hours then it was time to get up and get ready for the hospital to start his new chemotherapy.

He was very weak yeasterday, he needed some help walking... But we got to the hospital and quickly went to a room where he could lay down. Blood work was done and the counts seemed good. At least good enough to get the chemo started. We dimmed the lights and he was able to rest a bit more. Two hours later they started him with Velcade(chemo) and the new one Doxil. That took a couple of hours thru IV. It took longer because they wanted to make sure he wouldn't have an allergic reaction to Doxil. They kept his vital signs in check the whole time. The nurse was amazingly attentive and sweet.

Around 3:00, still in the room getting IV dad started to have extreme pain again. Around his chest, shoulder blade, and right arm. According to the doctors this pain is due to the progression of the disease- attacking the bones. We waited more then 45 minutes to get one miserable methadone pill so he wouldnt feel pain anymore. Lets imagine someone grabs your arm and pinchs you really hard, and they will only let go until someone comes to help you... imagine the affliction? Why does it take so long to get medication? Makes me angry, just hard to understand.

Another doctor came in and prescribed morphin for him. Injetable morphin was given there at the hospital. Now dad is taking stronger pain medication- makes him sleepy but so far it has helped to control the pain.

It is undescribable the feeling you get to see a loved one in so much affliction and pain... If I could only take his pain away...

Last night he got more sleep, he is having an ok day so far... I pray that it only gets better... Please God, Have mercy!!!

Week-end...

So dad had a good weekend, after all the bad news... He's a strong man! He was in a lot of pain, his shoulder has been bothering him for sometime... I forgot to mention in the last post that hes had two surgeries in his back- called kyphoplasty.

Kyphoplasty is a medical procedure that attempts to stop the pain caused by the bone fracture and attempts to restore the height and angle of kyphosis of a fractured vertebra (of certain types), followed by its stabilization using injected bone filler material.

This has reduced his pain to a certain level and in certain parts of the spine and back. His new pain is on his right shoulder blade and around the blade. Its a very sharp pain, he cannot stand up when it hits hard, but its a pain that comes and goes... Doctors have taken x-rays and seen no fractures, so for the time being he's just taking methadone and tramadol everyday to cope with the pain.


Tomorrow he goes to the hospital to get his new chemotherapy. We are nervous but I believe this will work very well for him and we will kill those naughty cells...

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7.

His life since diagnosis...

Before all this happened to my dad and our family I thought of cancer as a horrible thing, yes... a bad disease...but little did i know how bad it really was.... to the patient and to the family...

I thought several times before making this post. This wasn't meant to be written for sympathy, I just want to give all an insight by using few words of what my dad's life has been like since his diagnoses in January of '09...

I could write a book about all of his life since then, but words will tell a story for themselves...

Extreme back pain

MM diagnoses

blood work

kidney problems

bone marrow samples (if you don't know how these are done, you should look it up...painful to say the least)

MRIS- several

CAT scans-several

pneumonia- lasted two weeks,and 5 different antibiotics later

biopsy of the bone

biopsy of the lung

antibiotics

muscle atrophy

wheelchairs

face masks

bone pain

nausea

chemotherapy

vomiting

confusion

anemia

hospital stays, in and out

blood transfusions

doctors, nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists

reuniting to his kids in Virginia-what a blessing that was

back supporters

finding out his mm is the risky type with genetic mutations- harder to treat

holistic remedies

steroids- decadron

special diet, absolutely no sugar and no meats, for sometime not even salt

HOPE

disease under control

disease attacking again

switching chemotherapy due to inefficiency

bone marrow transplant team and plans

FAITH

special blessings at church

worldwide prayers

PAIN- day in... day out

Vitamins

FAMILY

cries

desperation

BELIEVING

Research- Internet and books

Special moments with loved ones---including surprise bday party for him :)

We were able to travel to Arizona and Mexico as a family... what a blessing that was...

good news

bad news

AND the hope and faith that he will achieve full remission...that they will find a cure to his cancer- they are so close to that, thank you Lord for science...

I believe these words can tell a bit of his journey, and our journey...a journey that isn't easy to live but one that has increased our faith and our love for each other... one that will have a successful ending...one that so many other families in the world are currently experiencing...

......If I was granted one wish.......

2009

2009 Was a hard year I can surely say that... Here is a bit more about what happened then...

February 2009- after we found out dad diagnoses the first thing we did was to search it only... oh boy... not sure that was the best idea at all... As a friend have said- the Internet can be a scary place. Sure you can find things in the click of a button, but sometimes things are better left unknown...

So here is the general definition of multiple myeloma according to the Mayo Clinic:


Multiple myeloma is a cancer of your plasma cells, a type of white blood cell present in your bone marrow. Plasma cells normally make proteins called antibodies to help you fight infections.
In multiple myeloma, a group of abnormal plasma cells (myeloma cells) multiplies, raising the number of plasma cells to a higher than normal level. Since these cells normally make proteins, the level of abnormal proteins in your blood also may go up. Health problems caused by multiple myeloma can affect your bones, immune system, kidneys and red blood cell count(anemia).

There are several ways to treat the condition which include:

*Bortezomib (Velcade). (dad started out with velcade and he is still on velcade since his diagnoses)
*Thalidomide (Thalomid). (he was taking this along with velcade for sometime, it was responding well, but then his body became immune to it.)
*Lenalidomide (Revlimid). (this drove his little naughty cells crazy and lots died, but it is no longer working for him)
*Chemotherapy (even tho all the above are chemotherapy as well, this one refers to a mix of different medicines. Right now he is gonna start next week with mix of velcade, doxil, and dexamethadone(steroids).)
*Corticosteroids. (the steroids... they can really alter someones state of mind and well being... dad is funny when he's on it.. he talks so much, i think he may talk to walls at times...lol... Now its become an inside joke in the family, if one is talking too much we ask if they have been popping dads "Decadron"--- sometimes you have to laugh at things in life!)
*Stem cell transplantation (this is where we are trying to get, so he may achieve remission)
*Radiation therapy (has not done any radiation so far)

To this day there is no cure for multiple myeloma. Some people have achieved partial and complete remission. Complete remission only means that the cells are not detectable by the standard tests, but doesn't mean they aren't there ready to start working again.

Our ultimate goal for now is to achieve complete remission. In order to get there we will have to fight for a few more months doing chemo to lower cancer cells in order to proceed to have an auto bone marrow transplant. (auto transplant, means they will harvest my dad's good plasma cells, freeze it, then reintroduce it to him after a massive chemotherapy. It has less risk then from a donor.)

One more thing doctors came across was that my dad has a genetic problem as well, making his type of multiple myeloma extra hard to treat. his cells become more resistant to chemotherapy. He has a genetic mutation of chromosome 13... I won't get into that because quite honestly I don't understand it myself...

BUT.... We will not let those factors scare us. Because we are here to fight. We are here to prove this can be beaten. We will score that GOAL! We have achieved more then doctors have expected form the geico. Don't doubt the power of a Couldrey! ;)

News and the soccer analogy....

First I would like to tell everyone that I will slowly tell the story from the beginning but for now this is where I start...

*We received bad news and good news yesterday. The doc called and said that level of protein (cancerous cells) went up--- this is no bueno, this means that the chemotherapy dad is on now is not responding to the little naughty cells. Good news- there is hope, next week he will start a new "potion" of chemotherapy. This should work... God is in control after all...

*Other news: Dad is been in pain for the past week, bad pain, bone pain... Doc took xrays and it seems like no new fractures were found since may of last year! THANK YOU GOD!!

We have been in World Cup spirits this summer... there is a saying in Portuguese that says "bola pra frente"... "ball forward" meaning- move on...

Got me thinking this morning as I was driving to work after a day of bad news...
This battle is like a soccer game, we started really bad, on defensive most of the time, then slowly we started to attack...no goal yet...Cancer is hard to beat you see, we went back and forth from defensive to attack- different strategies involved... The latest attack strategy didn't work very well for us, so now we are back on DEFENSE just waiting for that counter attack and.........GOALLLLL.... we will make that goal happen... watch us.

Ole, ole, ole, ole... Philpp, Philipp!!!!

Who is in this cheering with us???

Thank yous....

First and foremost I want to thank GOD and all Friends and Family who have been by our side since the beginning. They are the strength that drive us forward...

Thank you to all the doctors and nurses that have helped us each and everyday... The ones in Brazil, as well as the ones in Virginia. They have a hard work in their hands on a daily basis. I know it because I've see it. I went to the hospital with my dad several times to get chemo- Let me tell you- that is one depressing place to be everyday.... From the heart I thank them all!!

I have been following a few blogs for sometime and had thoughts in starting one... so I thank my coworker Adrienne (she is going through similar situation with her husband) who has inspired me the most to start this blog and keep family and friends posted.

So we have a year and half to catch up.... I will briefly try to tell our story, and from now on hopefully keep the blog updated with news on dad's health and live...

Acceptance...

One thing I have learned from going through this situation with my dad is that the first thing one should do is to ACCEPT...

Accept the situation, yes... accept the fact that the doctor just told you a bunch of bad news...

Acceptance for the patient is one step closer to a successful treatment...
Acceptance for the family of the patient means strength to carry this thru and to support one another.

So with time, prayers, and lots of tears we have learned to accept- this isnt something you can change with your own hands... this isnt something it will go away the next day...it is not something you can erase or throw away... So learn to live with it in harmony...

How it all began...

December 2008- Capao da Canoa- Brazil

Family was on vacation as we do every year for new years. Brazil such a beautiful and wonderful place to be. Beach, caipirinhas, party, family, friends, etc... except this year it wasn't the same. My father Philipp ended the year with extreme amounts of back pain....There was no champagne for new years... there was no walking to the beach to watch fireworks...

January 2009- Brazil

1st I left to go on vacation with my fiancees family. I said goodbye to my dad with a bad feeling and a knot in my heart...we cried and said farewell for the time being. Three days went by and I called to discover that my dad was in such terrible pain, he hasn't gotten out of bed in 3 days. 2 days later he was sent to the ER by ambulance to the big city- 1 1/2 hrs away.

Met with a spinal specialist who gave him injections in the spine, thinking it was nothing more then inflamed discs in his spine. Gave him pain medicine and sent him on his way back to the beach.

2 days had passed I was now back in Virginia, where I live, and my dad was in really bad shape- He was still in Brazil. Ambulance came once more to take him to the hospital. At Santa Casa Hospital he was giving more steroids and pain medications.... he was getting worse by the minute... until a family's friend doctor came in and said i would like to see the MRI. There it was.... he was sent to a different hospital right away... a group of doctors started doing extensive work on him and immediately started to give him medication.... On the same day the doctor told my mom that his kidneys were only 20% functioning and that if he hadn't come to the hospital that same night he wouldn't have made it alive...

After that shock a couple days passed in the hospital and doctors were still running additional exams. Me, my brother, and my sister were all in Virginia... my mom was there with a friend named Jaque(she was a guardian angel that came to us at the right time... she arranged everything at the new hospital and she was there for my mom when we couldn't be)and with my
dad. We then received a phone call from my mom a day later letting us know my dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma... Stage 3.

Our reaction? speechless.... heartbroken.... it was a stab in our hearts... We were thousands of miles away and we couldn't even hug our dad, comfort our mom... PAIN...deep pain...

****So what now???