Val & Collette Cook Family

Game fun and testing cookies. Building a roller coaster My two Angels Keeping warm by the fire. Crafts with the girls Starting a new family tradition, eating out together. Eating broccoli instead of fries. YUM!!! A Day in the Forest

In December we went to the UCSF doctors. Dr Bergsland was impressed on how well I looked. i had come a along way since November when I was in the hospital. I still had many things done and needed to get better. So she said we would take the December off and have no procedures done but I would be able to get rest and get stronger. I like that plan During the visit the nurse was taking my vitals And she bumped the clock and it bounced off my head then later she was taking my blood pressure which she said was high and she wondered why it was so high and I said maybe it's because the clock hit me in the head. I smiled at her letting her know it was teasing. I didn't want her to fell bad. It isn't everyday you get clocked.

We built a snowman in our backyard with our very own snow from the sky. The weather men gave us a 100% chance of snow I didn't believe it till it started coming down last night. It is 1:00 pm. The sun came out for a bit now dark clouds are descending on us again. The snow may stay more than a day.

In November I had many visitors Ellen and Camilla came while I was in the hospital. We got to celebrate Ellen birthday at home. It was fun to have all the family around and great to be out of the hospital. Amber, Nathaniel and the boys came and spent a week before thanksgiving. It was so fun to have them there. I would watch Adam and Kyle play as I lay in my chair. Camilla drove back for Thanksgiving so we had a great week of being together. Val, Camilla , and Emma made thanksgiving dinner together. They had so much fun. The Meyer's were going to have us over but Judy ended up being sickos Dan brought a lot of the dinner over to us. We had a feast. The next week we had many visits from ward members to be with me so Val could go to work. I was not able to do things for myself. I needed watching over and they did a great job. It was great to be able to visit with them. My mom and dad came in the second week in December.  My mom made sure I had the things I need...

On Monday the fourth of November I had a persedure done called an ambulisum.  This entailed putting bead like things right in the blood source blocking it to starve it out this was done to the tumor on my right side.  This was very painful. The rest of the week they girded to decide what to do with me. I had blood clots also.  Sunday they let me go home.  This was great.  My sister Ellen came from New Hampshire she was a great help. Camilla also came to help me. I didn't find out till latter that her room mate had paid for her ticket.  I was very out of it. I was so greatfull for the help 

This is Freddy he comes with me through my adventure usually he I quiet but this day he decided to hang on for dear life.  In the next picture we are finally in SF he is so excited he did a summer-salt. Now I will tell you Freddy's last adventure.  First off this hospital is very different. There are teams with doctors, interns, fellows, nurse, and many others.  Needless to say people coming and going all the time. So late morning for some reason I asked if any one had seen Freddy.  Camilla and Ellen were there to. (Emma on the weekend) know one had seen him. We started a surcharge then a thought came to me have we seen I'm since they change the bedding. We searched the bedding and there he was. Good thing we had thought of him before the took the linens away.  This is just a small way that I know I'm being watched over. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Emma has been learning to sew. We've been cutting out very slowly. Saturday we started sewing in ernest. We goat lit done then I ended up in the hospital.  Diana and Judy helped her. Diana had Emma do the major sewing. So glad she got it finished and so grateful for good friends to help out. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone Location: Folsom hospital

In the hospital I was filled up with antibiotics. We took a picture of my tower. I haven't seen so many bags at once. Monday I was scheduled to do a two day scan. Sharon Benton took me to the appointment in rosville.  Sharon asked about my shortness of breath.  The nurse called my doctor.   They gave me a injection for the scan it need 4 hours to get obsorbed into my body. Sharon took me home. At home the Dr Shi's office told me to go to ER after the scan.  The scan was two hours long val could be in the room because I had the radiation not the machine.  In ER they ran tests I was admitted into the hospital.  I have blood clot on both sides if the filter they started me on a new kind of blood thinner. Now the day blur together.  They though I may be bleeding internally.  I wasn't. They decided to send me to UCSF.  This took a few days because they had to have an opening.

Where did the month of October go? We stopped the blood thinner. And had a filter put in. Then I had blood work done. My body was working on extremes high temps to low temps. The Sunday of Donna's farewell talk I really wanted to go to church. I was feeling ok till I got in the cold air. My muscles cramped up and I hurt a lot. So many people we so helpful. It was very humbling. I love my Relief Society sisters. Donna's talk was wonderful. Monday I had a special 2 day scan. Sharon Benton took me to the appointment and expressed her concerns about my breathing to the nurse she called my oncologist he told me to get the scan then go to the ER. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Home

Went to UCSF in San Francisco to talk to a specialist.  We got there an hour early so we walked around and took pictures. More photos on my photo blog. We met with the Dr for an hour.  I really liked her.  we looked at my scans and talked about possible treatments.  The biopsy was not available so there are other things that the Dr needs to look at before making any decisions.  So we are in limbo but it feels like progress is being made.  I'm feeling so much better each day this morning I felt normal. now I'm tired so i guess I have less energy still.  She encouraged me to exercise so I am walking more.  It takes a while to build up my strength.

I have an appointment to see a specialist today at UCSF. Don't really know what to expect but I'm glad to get things going and making forward progress. Good news my Coumadin level is 2.2 so I don't need to have shots anymore:) I am finding it it be a balancing act on what to eat and how much. To much I get pain for a few days if I don't eat enough I get weak. It's like a roller coaster. I think I'm figuring it out and things are calming down. I feel good most days so I'm able to get a few things done, at a turtle pace.

Today I needed to get blood work done for my Dr appointment so I went to the hospital because they could do it fast. Little did I know I had to be admitted to the hospital to get it done. So it took 30 min to register get my arm ban then 10 min to get my blood drawn. So I was patient for about 40 min. Fastest hospital visit ever and that was to long. Emma was waiting for me at the orthodontist office. She wouldn't have minded but she was missing choir.

Vicky Dills took me out for yogurt. She wanted to make a work of art. Her's was Mine was a little boring so I added color, didn't help much. We enjoyed them. Proof is in the pudding.

I have been working on my history class. I had to write a paper which on a good day is hard. Audrey Melville helped me get it written. It is done and it is such a relief. Yeah for good friends and all the different ways they help.

Waiting and wondering is one of the hardest things to do. Yesterday day we went to our oncologist t see how the scans went and what they said. The PET Scan indicated a10% growth in exciting timers and no new tumors. This is good. The growth is slow but he wanted better results from the chemo. He is referring us to a specialist in San Francisco. I have such a rare cancer that there are not a lot of studies done because there aren't a lot of patients. I am running a high fever most of the time. They think that is due to the tumors. I am also experiencing more pain it's not to bad right now I know it could be worse. My life is in Heavenly Fathers hands. I find comfort in that so now I get on with living. For family night we had a sort of picnic in the park. It was a lot of fun. We each had something different to eat. I had a peanut butter and jam sandwich made from Miang's pluot jam. It was yummy. Val had the best honey dew melons he had ever tasted. Also from Robin ...

I GOT TO GO HOME !!! A Basket Full of Love The Relief Society gave me a basket full of fun socks. Thanks Sharon for spearheading it. The Melville's had us over for dinner and a party. Which was perfect because I didn't feel we'll and they made it fun but short. Dinner was wonderful and the celebration was great. Monster purse Birthday cake