T.J.'s Visit

T.J. and Gus

Gus, April, Lane and Scott

Lane and Gus

Gus' son, T.J., is visiting for a week. None of us will be ready for him to leave next Sunday morning. This morning T.J. grabbed his fishing pole, walked 50 feet to the creek next to our house and caught his breakfast. A 14 inch Brook Trout. He was a little smug sitting at the table eating his breakfast.

It was important that T.J. bring his golf clubs. They have golfed twice since he got here. The really important news from the golf game was April and Gus both got a birdie. It was the best Gus had golfed in a while.

Gus has wanted to go camping in the East Fork of the Blacktail for years. It is another route to reach their hunting camp. This coming week-end his wish will be granted.

Gus, T.J., Scott, April, Lindsey, Lane and myself will journey 40 miles south of Dillon to this campground. We are taking our horses to then ride into hunting camp on Saturday. Gus and T.J. will go in on Thursday. The rest of us will follow as we can.

Hopefully our friends from Bozeman and Billings can join us. To our knowledge they are not bringing their horses, but horseback is the only way Gus can get into hunting camp.

We have borrowed a nice camp trailer to stay in. Luxury in the mountains is the only way to go if given the choice.

Relay for Life

Kathleen and Gus

Neil and Gus

Gus with his group of Survivors

Gus has been very busy since our last update. He participated in the annual Madison County Relay for Life. Our local Relay for Life did an amazing job this year. They raised over $92,000.00. Their goal was $70,000.00.

Gloria and Neil Barnosky went with us which made the evening so enjoyable. Neil willingly did the "Gus Mosey" which is a walk in slow motion. Gus went around that track more times then I thought he physically could. He amazes everyone that he sees.

Gus was not feeling well earlier in the day, but once he surrounded himself with friends and fellow survivors, the pain was forgotten and he lived in the moment.

Baseball on Father's Day

Gus pitching a slow pitch to "The Babe"

Wind-up and the pitch

At 62, Gus still loves the game of baseball and throws a mean pitch.

Gus and April have been brainstorming this day for several weeks. When her family came from Missoula for Father's Day was the perfect time. There were 10 of us on the field. We didn't even pick teams. The rules were simple. Anything was acceptable and everyone was a star.

It looked like we were going to get rained out, but God blessed us again and gave Gus a desire of his heart . . . . to play baseball again. Parts of the state were experiencing tornadoes while we played in the sunshine on a beautiful afternoon.

A Victory

Today is a milestone in our lives. Two years ago today, Gus and I received the phone call from the doctor telling us the results of the CT scan. Neither one of us can forget how hard it was to breathe.

The fact that Gus is still breathing is a miracle. In fact he is breathing so well that he has been up since 5:30 this morning getting things accomplished. Last night he was out mowing the lawn at 10:00.

Gus had chemo on Tuesday and felt terrible that evening and the following day. This seems to be his normal response after chemo (whatever normal is). By Thursday he was back among the living and ready to achieve something in his day.

The biggest opportunity we still have is his weight. Gus weighs 16 pounds less than he did at the end of radiation the fall of 2008. He was so thin then. Gus still looks good overall, though, because he forces himself to get out each day. He also is begrudgingly drinking his calorie rich drinks.

Last Tuesday, Gus was finally able to golf before going to chemo. We had met with the doctor in the morning, and then Gus headed to the golf course to meet with his good friend, Gail. They had a wonderful time and a beautiful day for golfing.

Everyone greeted Gus when he went back to the cancer center to ask how the game went. They all take a personal interest in his victories. Nine holes of golf was definitely a victory!

Denver

Mary, Jan, Gus and Dorothy

Katherine and Gus

Gus loved his trip to Denver. He stayed with his sister, Mary. Monday afternoon, his other sister and brother-in-law, Jan and Ray, came from Paige, AZ. He was with his Mom four times. They took Dorothy to lunch on Tuesday, before Ray and Gus spent most of the next three hours lost in the rain somewhere in the Denver area.

While in Denver, he spent time with his nephew, Jeff, and his family. He visited his cousin, Nancy and her husband, Vick. Gus also went to Kiowa, CO, to see Katherine and her husband, Randy. Katherine is the daughter of one of my favorite cousins from Washington.

Gus was able to golf only one time while there. He and Mary went Monday morning. He thoroughly enjoyed himself, but rumor has it, no records were set on low numbers. Gus never felt well enough again and the weather never co-operated. In fact, Denver even had tornados on Tuesday.

The struggle continues for us. Food no longer tastes good to Gus. He lost three pounds in the few days he was gone. Our next step is to start on the calorie rich weight gain drinks that Gus detests. There is a powder that the doctor gave us to try. You mix it with whole milk and get 600 calories in 8 ounces. I will probably gain weight just mixing it for him.

We talked last night of the things we refuse to give up. No matter how hard golfing is on Gus, quitting is not an option. Golf is one of the things he loves. Even if he can physically do only five or six of his nine holes, that is enough. We are going to force ourselves to focus on what he can do, not on what he can’t do.

A Long Overdue Trip

Lane, Gus and LT

Lane kept begging his grandfather to go for a motorcycle ride, so last Sunday they had some fun. They have only gone to the golf course once this spring, due to the nasty weather we have had. Gus can tolerate very little cold.

Gus is flying to Denver this Saturday to visit his mother and both sisters. He will be gone for six days. It has been fourteen months since Gus last saw his mother and sister, Jan. This trip is long overdue.

We were waiting to see how he responded to this new treatment before making plane reservations.

Gus maintained his weight this week and only has a rash as a side effect. The rash looks like teenage acne and only seems to be affecting his face and chest. It was quite the challenge this morning to shave around all those pimples.

Gus is planning on taking his golf clubs to Denver in hopes the weather cooperates.

This morning, we did schedule his next cycle of chemo with golf in mind.Gus will do blood work and see the doctor first thing each Tuesday. He will then go to the golf course and hopefully have the strength to play nine holes. After golfing, Gus will go back to the cancer center for his infusion.

New Treatment Plan

Gus has been on his new treatment plan for ten days now. Nothing drastic has happened with side effects other than weight loss. Gus has lost ten pounds in the last two weeks . . . seven of those pounds in the last week. This has become the biggest concern for everyone involved.

Gus’ appetite is good and he concentrates on eating throughout his day. He is getting so frustrated. No matter how hard he tries, the scales will not reward him.

We questioned the doctors as to why the sudden change with Gus’ treatment plan. The decision was based on Gus’ symptoms April 6th when we had met with our oncologist. We don’t disagree; we just felt the other treatment plan was still very effective and we knew how he tolerated it.

The CA 19-9 taken April 27th was great. It was 58, which is almost in the normal range. We were surprised the positive numbers on the CA 19-9 didn’t have more influence with the doctor than it did. Gus’ other symptoms of pain and fatigue seem to be more of what the doctor is concerned with than what the CA 19-9 shows. I feel so much of the fatigue he is experiencing is because of the narcotic pain killers. He is drugged all the time.

Another note of interest, the oncology pharmacist in Bozeman has been studying reports on the toxicity of the drug given to Gus in the infusion room. She has discovered that the faster it is infused, the less toxic to Gus. So after 1 ½ years of being on this chemo, the last two times Gus has received it, it took only 30 minutes as opposed to 90 minutes. The oncologist also increased the dose because it is the only traditional chemo Gus is receiving now.

The PA we met with on Tuesday worked in a VA hospital oncology department for 13 years. In all that time, she can only remember one patient having pancreatic cancer. They have at least three patients right now in Bozeman being treated for pancreatic cancer.