Randy entered the church triumphant this morning at 9:20 with Pat, Joe Winterman and me at his bedside. The Lord granted him a peaceful journey.
There will be a celebration of Randy's life at 4:30 PM Sunday at St. Mark's Lutheran Church.
Thank you for all of your prayers and expressions of concern. Continue to pray for the children and for me as we go through the fog of our grief. I have been telling people that today the world lost a great man but God called home a faithful servant.
I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7. Thanks be to God.
Peace to you,
Sue, Katie, Pat & Carrie
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Good To Be Home
Randy has been home nearly a week. I know that he is glad to be home. He seems much more comfortable in familiar surroundings. We are trying to settle into some kind of routine. It is difficult since everyday is different from the previous one. I am becoming more confident in giving him the medications to keep him comfortable. He has been sleeping relatively well. Last night, he slept in the recliner rather than the bed because he was having a difficult time getting in a comfortable position. He is usually able to get four or five hours of sleep at a time.
He has had many visitors since his homecoming. I have been encouraging short visits, but now see the need to limit the number and the length of the visits. If you would like to stop, please call first. If it is not a good time, I hope that you will understand if I tell you that. Randy is weak and continues to decline. We knew this would be the case. As much as all of your well wishes mean to both of us, I can't allow visits to exhaust him. Please know that you are all so important to us. He still welcomes cards and emails.
Katie and Carrie are going home today. Mary left yesterday and Pat will be flying back to Phoenix on Tuesday. Randy's cousin Paul and his wife Diana will be arriving on Monday to help me this week.
Thank you for all of the delicious food that has been arriving almost daily. How thoughtful of everyone to care for us. Friends are a gift from God.
Continue to pray for us. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for God's gracious mercy. I know that we are being carried through this very difficult time in the loving arms of the Father. Thanks be to God.
Peace to you
Randy & Sue
Randy has been home nearly a week. I know that he is glad to be home. He seems much more comfortable in familiar surroundings. We are trying to settle into some kind of routine. It is difficult since everyday is different from the previous one. I am becoming more confident in giving him the medications to keep him comfortable. He has been sleeping relatively well. Last night, he slept in the recliner rather than the bed because he was having a difficult time getting in a comfortable position. He is usually able to get four or five hours of sleep at a time.
He has had many visitors since his homecoming. I have been encouraging short visits, but now see the need to limit the number and the length of the visits. If you would like to stop, please call first. If it is not a good time, I hope that you will understand if I tell you that. Randy is weak and continues to decline. We knew this would be the case. As much as all of your well wishes mean to both of us, I can't allow visits to exhaust him. Please know that you are all so important to us. He still welcomes cards and emails.
Katie and Carrie are going home today. Mary left yesterday and Pat will be flying back to Phoenix on Tuesday. Randy's cousin Paul and his wife Diana will be arriving on Monday to help me this week.
Thank you for all of the delicious food that has been arriving almost daily. How thoughtful of everyone to care for us. Friends are a gift from God.
Continue to pray for us. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for God's gracious mercy. I know that we are being carried through this very difficult time in the loving arms of the Father. Thanks be to God.
Peace to you
Randy & Sue
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Home again!
Hello everyone!
This is Katie, posting on behalf of my parents. We are pleased to report that Dad was released from the hospital on Monday and is now at home with the assistance of Deaconess hospice care. Upon reviewing his bloodwork on Monday, Dr. Ahmed found that his blood chemistries were all normal and decided that he no longer needed to be hospitalized.
Dad's blood calcium level is now within the normal range and will continue to be monitored. The nurses will do bloodwork every two weeks and, should the calcium level start to rise, it can be corrected with medication before it reaches a crisis level which results in disorientation and confusion. The hospice nurses have been wonderful and visit daily. Dad receives a visit from the RN on Tuesday and Thursday and the LPN on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They are very pleased with his progress since returning home from the hospital.
Dad has had three good days so far. He has become more alert each day and has enjoyed visiting with friends and family. His appetite seems to be improving and he has been eating relatively well. He is on supplementary oxygen now, and this seems to improve his energy level slightly since he no longer has to expend so much effort in order to breathe. Although he appreciates all of the support he is receiving , we are trying to moderate the number of visitors on any one day so that he doesn't become exhausted.
Patrick and Mary have been here since Thursday, and Carrie and I arrived on Monday. We have treasured this opportunity to spend time with Dad and with each other. Carrie and I will leave on Sunday, and Patrick is flying back to Arizona on Tuesday.
Thank you so much to all our friends and family who have come from near and far to support us. We have had so many visitors and so much wonderful food! You all have shown such kindness to our family, and we are so humbled and so appreciative.
God continues to pour out His grace and mercy upon our family, and we are grateful for His hand upon us. We are thankful to be blessed with the gift of good days, and confident that God will grant us strength to handle the days ahead.
Peace to you,
Randy and Sue
Katie, Patrick, and Carrie
Sunday, March 8, 2009
This is Pat Stuckemeyer, I am updating you all while my Mom is busy caring for Dad.
As many of you may know, my parents originally planned on spending 3 weeks in Maui, their favorite spot. They arrived in Maui with friends and Dad immediately wanted to be rolled out on the lanai to take in the weather. From that point, Dad began a slow downward spiral. He started having confusion and disorientation. This lasted until Wednesday of last week, when Mom decided that something needed to be done.
We are very lucky to have so many friends that care for us - and that are willing to do anything for us. My Mom called back home to Dad's office and took advantage of the plane from the American Patriot Group, which was offered to us open-ended month's ago by Steve Chancellor. The plane was already going to Las Vegas to drop off several people, so Joe Winterman flew along with them and to Maui to pick up Mom and Dad.
Mary and I were planning on going to Maui to meet my parents for a week, however when plans changed we were picked up on Thursday morning in Phoenix. When we got on the plane Dad was weak and resting. He had slept almost the entire trip and was exhausted.
When we arrived in Evansville, we went straight to the Clinic for blood work and labs. Dr. Ahmed saw Dad and encouraged him to go into the hospital. He didn't want to go, but instead wanted to go home. At this point, Dad was incredibly weak. We went home, and Dad slept for a bit.
Dr. Ahmed said that he would call if anything changed, and he did call about an hour after we got home. He said that Dad had an extremely high amount of calcium in his blood - which is apparently a side-effect of the disease. He wanted us to take him to the hospital for total hydration, which takes about 48 hrs.
That was Thursday night. Mom stayed with him all night and then we all went down on Friday. He was still disoriented on Friday and into Saturday. He sleeps a lot, but is resting peacefully.
Several friends and family have been coming in this weekend. It's good to report that today Dad is having a much better day than before. His calcium is coming down and his appetite seems to be returning. The doctors told us that this will happen again, but we are just going to enjoy spending time with Dad while we still can.
Katie and Carrie are coming into town tomorrow to spend some quality time with Dad, and we are all looking forward to it.
Mom is encouraging all that would like to visit Dad to go ahead and come see him. The best times are around meal times, because he most likely won't be sleeping. Please feel free to call my Mom's cell phone to check and see, but he is at Deaconess hospital (main campus) in Room 3203.
That's it for now. Thanks to everyone who has kept Dad and our entire family in your prayers. We all believe that there is a plan from Him, and we need to have faith in that.
Best,
Pat
As many of you may know, my parents originally planned on spending 3 weeks in Maui, their favorite spot. They arrived in Maui with friends and Dad immediately wanted to be rolled out on the lanai to take in the weather. From that point, Dad began a slow downward spiral. He started having confusion and disorientation. This lasted until Wednesday of last week, when Mom decided that something needed to be done.
We are very lucky to have so many friends that care for us - and that are willing to do anything for us. My Mom called back home to Dad's office and took advantage of the plane from the American Patriot Group, which was offered to us open-ended month's ago by Steve Chancellor. The plane was already going to Las Vegas to drop off several people, so Joe Winterman flew along with them and to Maui to pick up Mom and Dad.
Mary and I were planning on going to Maui to meet my parents for a week, however when plans changed we were picked up on Thursday morning in Phoenix. When we got on the plane Dad was weak and resting. He had slept almost the entire trip and was exhausted.
When we arrived in Evansville, we went straight to the Clinic for blood work and labs. Dr. Ahmed saw Dad and encouraged him to go into the hospital. He didn't want to go, but instead wanted to go home. At this point, Dad was incredibly weak. We went home, and Dad slept for a bit.
Dr. Ahmed said that he would call if anything changed, and he did call about an hour after we got home. He said that Dad had an extremely high amount of calcium in his blood - which is apparently a side-effect of the disease. He wanted us to take him to the hospital for total hydration, which takes about 48 hrs.
That was Thursday night. Mom stayed with him all night and then we all went down on Friday. He was still disoriented on Friday and into Saturday. He sleeps a lot, but is resting peacefully.
Several friends and family have been coming in this weekend. It's good to report that today Dad is having a much better day than before. His calcium is coming down and his appetite seems to be returning. The doctors told us that this will happen again, but we are just going to enjoy spending time with Dad while we still can.
Katie and Carrie are coming into town tomorrow to spend some quality time with Dad, and we are all looking forward to it.
Mom is encouraging all that would like to visit Dad to go ahead and come see him. The best times are around meal times, because he most likely won't be sleeping. Please feel free to call my Mom's cell phone to check and see, but he is at Deaconess hospital (main campus) in Room 3203.
That's it for now. Thanks to everyone who has kept Dad and our entire family in your prayers. We all believe that there is a plan from Him, and we need to have faith in that.
Best,
Pat
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Arrival in Paradise
We arrived in Maui on schedule. It was the usual long flight but Randy tolerated it pretty well. Needless to say, he is exhausted today. He is napping and will hopefully be able to catch up a little.
Upon our arrival, he wanted to be wheeled out to the lanai and enjoy the setting sunset. It was a little cloudy so the sunset wasn't as beautiful as it has been, but we enjoyed it none the less. I'm sure there will be many postcard sunsets while we are here.
Thank to everyone who called and stopped by to wish us a wonderful vacation. Your support is unbelievable. I am hopeful that Randy's appetite will improve and he will regain some of the strength he lost during his last treatments. While he is resting today, I'm sure it won't be long before he makes his way down to the hot tub.
I'll keep you posted on our vacation. Continue to pray for us. We offer prayers of thanksgiving that God has again granted us the opportunity to visit our special place.
Peace to you.
Randy & Sue
We arrived in Maui on schedule. It was the usual long flight but Randy tolerated it pretty well. Needless to say, he is exhausted today. He is napping and will hopefully be able to catch up a little.
Upon our arrival, he wanted to be wheeled out to the lanai and enjoy the setting sunset. It was a little cloudy so the sunset wasn't as beautiful as it has been, but we enjoyed it none the less. I'm sure there will be many postcard sunsets while we are here.
Thank to everyone who called and stopped by to wish us a wonderful vacation. Your support is unbelievable. I am hopeful that Randy's appetite will improve and he will regain some of the strength he lost during his last treatments. While he is resting today, I'm sure it won't be long before he makes his way down to the hot tub.
I'll keep you posted on our vacation. Continue to pray for us. We offer prayers of thanksgiving that God has again granted us the opportunity to visit our special place.
Peace to you.
Randy & Sue
Monday, February 23, 2009
CT Scan Results
Today Randy had his follow-up CT scan to evaluate the effectiveness of the Erbitux after eight treatments. The results were not positive. The spots in his right lung had increased in size and number. In addition, there were spots in his left lung. The lymph nodes in his chest and left collarbone area were both considerably larger. While this was disappointing, it was not unexpected. Randy has been having some problems with respiration in the last few weeks. He tires easily and continues to lose weight.
After a long conversation with Dr. Ahmed, Randy has decided to suspend any further treatment. So far, nothing has shown the ability to slow down or stop the spread of the disease. We are flying to Chicago on Thursday and on to Maui on Saturday. The doctor said that this trip was very important to us and to our family and that we should go and enjoy ourselves. So, with his blessing, we are doing just that.
The future is uncertain. We may have given up on conventional treatment, but not our hope and faith that the Lord has a plan for us. My devotion yesterday was to trust and believe. We are doing that - trusting God and believing that we are indeed in the palm of his hand.
Continue to pray for us as we enter a new phase of our journey.
Peace be to you.
Randy & Sue
Today Randy had his follow-up CT scan to evaluate the effectiveness of the Erbitux after eight treatments. The results were not positive. The spots in his right lung had increased in size and number. In addition, there were spots in his left lung. The lymph nodes in his chest and left collarbone area were both considerably larger. While this was disappointing, it was not unexpected. Randy has been having some problems with respiration in the last few weeks. He tires easily and continues to lose weight.
After a long conversation with Dr. Ahmed, Randy has decided to suspend any further treatment. So far, nothing has shown the ability to slow down or stop the spread of the disease. We are flying to Chicago on Thursday and on to Maui on Saturday. The doctor said that this trip was very important to us and to our family and that we should go and enjoy ourselves. So, with his blessing, we are doing just that.
The future is uncertain. We may have given up on conventional treatment, but not our hope and faith that the Lord has a plan for us. My devotion yesterday was to trust and believe. We are doing that - trusting God and believing that we are indeed in the palm of his hand.
Continue to pray for us as we enter a new phase of our journey.
Peace be to you.
Randy & Sue
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Back to Radiation
We made it through the ice storm and power outage. We were without power for six days. We managed with a gas fireplace and candles for three of those days. Thanks to Mark Myrick and his generator, we had some power for the remainder of the time. We were very happy to have all of the creature comforts again.
There have been a couple of new developments since I last posted. Randy saw Dr. Kim, the radiation oncologist, on January 30. Dr. Kim thought that he would be able to radiate the lymph node area that has not been affected by any of the chemotherapy drugs. Randy's first radiation treatment was February 5. He will have 20 treatments, the last one being the day before we leave for Maui. Our hope is that the radiation will shrink the tumor off of the nerve in his arm and give him some relief from the pain in his arm and shoulder. He has developed lymphodema in his left arm. With the shrinkage of the lymph node, the fluid should be able to drain normally again.
Randy's last Erbitex treatment will be this Tuesday. That will be followed by a CT Scan on February 23. We will see Dr. Ahmed on February 24 for the results of the scan. At that time, we will decided on the next course of treatment. It will be so nice to have a three week break in treatment. That should give Randy time to heal from the radiation and recover some strength lost during chemotherapy. We really don't know what to expect from the CT Scan. We are fairly certain that there has been no shrinkage of the lymph node from the chemotherapy. What effect there has been on the spots in his lung will be determined from the scan. But, we will just have to wait and see. We remain hopeful.
We were not able to go to Tempe for Mary's recital. The radiation schedule did not allow for any time between treatments. We will be seeing Pat and Mary in Maui. ASU's Spring Break is the second week of March, so they will be spending it with us. Carrie and Jack were home this weekend. It was so nice to have them here. Thanks, Jack, for the delicious soups that you made and left with us. What a treat!
These past few weeks have been pretty tough for Randy. The fatique has been especially limiting. But, as always, he has been a trouper. We are certainly looking forward to traveling to the islands for some R & R.
Thank you for all of your birthday cards, balloons, phone calls and well wishes for Randy's birthday on February 7. A special thanks to Carole Gerth for organizing a card shower and baking Randy's favorite cake for his birthday. Friends are priceless. Thanks to Burke and Tom for transporting all of the Christmas decorations back to the storage unit. During our time without power, there were many "angels" who took good care of us -- Mark Myrick, Steve Gibson, Josh Talbert, Ronnie Forney and Scott Larsen. Thanks also to Dan Hermann for calling several times to check on us and see if we needed anything. You guys are the best.
Keep us in your prayers. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for God's mercy and grace.
Peace be to you.
Randy & Sue
We made it through the ice storm and power outage. We were without power for six days. We managed with a gas fireplace and candles for three of those days. Thanks to Mark Myrick and his generator, we had some power for the remainder of the time. We were very happy to have all of the creature comforts again.
There have been a couple of new developments since I last posted. Randy saw Dr. Kim, the radiation oncologist, on January 30. Dr. Kim thought that he would be able to radiate the lymph node area that has not been affected by any of the chemotherapy drugs. Randy's first radiation treatment was February 5. He will have 20 treatments, the last one being the day before we leave for Maui. Our hope is that the radiation will shrink the tumor off of the nerve in his arm and give him some relief from the pain in his arm and shoulder. He has developed lymphodema in his left arm. With the shrinkage of the lymph node, the fluid should be able to drain normally again.
Randy's last Erbitex treatment will be this Tuesday. That will be followed by a CT Scan on February 23. We will see Dr. Ahmed on February 24 for the results of the scan. At that time, we will decided on the next course of treatment. It will be so nice to have a three week break in treatment. That should give Randy time to heal from the radiation and recover some strength lost during chemotherapy. We really don't know what to expect from the CT Scan. We are fairly certain that there has been no shrinkage of the lymph node from the chemotherapy. What effect there has been on the spots in his lung will be determined from the scan. But, we will just have to wait and see. We remain hopeful.
We were not able to go to Tempe for Mary's recital. The radiation schedule did not allow for any time between treatments. We will be seeing Pat and Mary in Maui. ASU's Spring Break is the second week of March, so they will be spending it with us. Carrie and Jack were home this weekend. It was so nice to have them here. Thanks, Jack, for the delicious soups that you made and left with us. What a treat!
These past few weeks have been pretty tough for Randy. The fatique has been especially limiting. But, as always, he has been a trouper. We are certainly looking forward to traveling to the islands for some R & R.
Thank you for all of your birthday cards, balloons, phone calls and well wishes for Randy's birthday on February 7. A special thanks to Carole Gerth for organizing a card shower and baking Randy's favorite cake for his birthday. Friends are priceless. Thanks to Burke and Tom for transporting all of the Christmas decorations back to the storage unit. During our time without power, there were many "angels" who took good care of us -- Mark Myrick, Steve Gibson, Josh Talbert, Ronnie Forney and Scott Larsen. Thanks also to Dan Hermann for calling several times to check on us and see if we needed anything. You guys are the best.
Keep us in your prayers. We offer prayers of thanksgiving for God's mercy and grace.
Peace be to you.
Randy & Sue
Saturday, January 17, 2009
WAITING, THE DIFFICULT PART
I'm sorry that I have been so slow to update everyone, but we have just been waiting. Randy has now had three Erbitux treatments. The side effects are not too bad. The rash continues to worsen, but is still manageable. He is very fatigued for a few days after the treatment. Since this is a weekly treatment, there isn't much time for energy rebound. All in all, it hasn't been too bad.
The one new development is pain in his left shoulder and down the arm. Since no treatment has thus far been able to stop the growth of the lymph node in the collarbone area, it has begun to press on the major nerve controlling his arm. On Sunday, the pain was unbearable. We have been experimenting with several different things to control the pain. We have found that applying heat to the affected area does help along with pain medication. Timing of the medication seems to be the key and we are getting a little better at that everyday. Sleep has been a problem, but last night was a good one. We give thanks for good nights and struggle through the bad ones. Everyday, we are learning something new about this disease and how to live with it.
I asked Dr. Ahmed during Randy's appointment last Tuesday if the pain was an indication that the Erbitux was not being effective. He assured me that he did not think that was the case. He added that he was surprised that Randy had not experienced pain before now.
Randy's birthday is February 7 and we are hoping to be in Tempe to celebrate with Pat and Mary. Mary also has a recital that we would like to attend. We will just have to wait and see.
We also have a three week trip to Maui planned in March with Paul and Diana. Everyone is looking forward to being back in the islands. We are hoping that everything goes according to schedule. It will be a nice break from treatment.
Thanks to all of you for your calls, emails, cards, visits and prayers offered on our behalf. Through all of this, Randy and I have learned the meaning of friendship. You are all precious to us. Thanks to the kids for all of your phone calls. Your dad really perks up when he knows that one of you is on phone. We have been blessed with wonderful family and friends. Please continue to pray for us as we wait.
This week I have been studying Psalm 139. Verse 16 just keeps resounding in my head: All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. What a comfort to be reminded that God has a plan for all of us. Our job is to be patient and WAIT.
Peace to you.
Randy & Sue
I'm sorry that I have been so slow to update everyone, but we have just been waiting. Randy has now had three Erbitux treatments. The side effects are not too bad. The rash continues to worsen, but is still manageable. He is very fatigued for a few days after the treatment. Since this is a weekly treatment, there isn't much time for energy rebound. All in all, it hasn't been too bad.
The one new development is pain in his left shoulder and down the arm. Since no treatment has thus far been able to stop the growth of the lymph node in the collarbone area, it has begun to press on the major nerve controlling his arm. On Sunday, the pain was unbearable. We have been experimenting with several different things to control the pain. We have found that applying heat to the affected area does help along with pain medication. Timing of the medication seems to be the key and we are getting a little better at that everyday. Sleep has been a problem, but last night was a good one. We give thanks for good nights and struggle through the bad ones. Everyday, we are learning something new about this disease and how to live with it.
I asked Dr. Ahmed during Randy's appointment last Tuesday if the pain was an indication that the Erbitux was not being effective. He assured me that he did not think that was the case. He added that he was surprised that Randy had not experienced pain before now.
Randy's birthday is February 7 and we are hoping to be in Tempe to celebrate with Pat and Mary. Mary also has a recital that we would like to attend. We will just have to wait and see.
We also have a three week trip to Maui planned in March with Paul and Diana. Everyone is looking forward to being back in the islands. We are hoping that everything goes according to schedule. It will be a nice break from treatment.
Thanks to all of you for your calls, emails, cards, visits and prayers offered on our behalf. Through all of this, Randy and I have learned the meaning of friendship. You are all precious to us. Thanks to the kids for all of your phone calls. Your dad really perks up when he knows that one of you is on phone. We have been blessed with wonderful family and friends. Please continue to pray for us as we wait.
This week I have been studying Psalm 139. Verse 16 just keeps resounding in my head: All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. What a comfort to be reminded that God has a plan for all of us. Our job is to be patient and WAIT.
Peace to you.
Randy & Sue
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