Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your Prayers, and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
Where to begin...Paul retired on January 7, 2017 after 44 years of service and dedication to the Rail Road, a career he absolutely loved. A couple weeks later we headed out on a vacation we had planned long before retirement. First stop to visit Sister Sandy and Jim in AZ. On our way out there Paul lost 10 lbs and developed two sores on his back. We brushed this off and continued to enjoy retirement life together hiking, biking and exploring. Paul had back discomfort but assumed he had some arthritis from hard work over the years and heredity. He's ONE TOUGH GUY!
Last week of February we attempted to hike Wrightston Mountain. We didn't make it to the summit, which in itself is very unusual for us. Paul needed to sit and rest several times and when I suggested we take the long trail back, he said he'd take the short route and meet me at the bottom. For those of you who know Paul, this was a red flag. He loves a challenge and the accomplishments that come from each new adventure.
On March 4, 2017 he woke up and couldn't get himself out of bed. He was in severe back pain and we made the trip to Northwestern Hospital in Tucson. They kept him for 22 hours in the ER for observation. Complete Blood Counts done, MRI and catscan. Results showed slightly elevated blood calcium and lymphocytes along with Thoracic Vertebral compression fractures, with no known origin. So, we assumed they were old fractures from all the physical labor he had done over the years and some progressive osteoporosis.
We took it easy and continued on our journey...TX to visit Cody and Paul BD, WACO TX, San Antonio, New Orleans, Gulfport MS, Florida, Cancun, Myrtle Beach, Campbell University in NC, Gaylord MI, Escanaba visiting family and friends and enjoying retirement to the fullest.
April 13, 2017 we returned back to our home and all the while Paul kept a smile and never complained. To know this man is to Love Him!
Once we were home we started with our General Practitioner to try and figure this back pain out. He had blood work, two more MRI's and two more catscans trying to get to the origin of the pain. On Monday June 26, 2017 we went to Paul's cardiologist as he does have an ascending aortic aneurism which we thought may be pressing against his vertebrae causing pain. The cardiologist said his aorta looked unchanged but that the radiologist had noted what he thought might be the source of all of Paul's back pain - multiple vertebral lesions & multiple mild to moderate thoracic vertebral compression fractures. We were seeing an oncologist STAT.
June 3, 2017, After a dozen tubes of blood drawn, 24 hour urine collection, two oncologists later we had our diagnosis...Multiple Myeloma.
Tomorrow July 11, 2017 we get the results of his bone marrow biopsy and begin to develop the plan of attack on this thing they call cancer.
Please join us in our fight with your Prayers, Thoughts, Words of encouragement, calls and texts. Tonight Paul said, "Time to go on the offense, enough of this defense", He's ready to fight!
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