A funny story about vanity………..

Hello everyone! I thought I would share this little tidbit from our last visit to Little Rock.
On the Tuesday morning that Peggy and I were lined up for the latest battery of tests, we were doing the usual scurrying about.

Peg was doing her make-up. I was packing up our bags and checking out of the hotel. In the hurry, I was going to the car, loading up our belongings, and simply getting things packed away.

This “packing” required me to make several trips through the lobby of the hotel and with each pass I kept seeing various people. You know fellow guests, staff, and the like.

Well being that most of the people that I passed by happened to be female AND each of them would get a bright look about them and smile real big….. I started thinking, hey I just “got noticed”.

Of course being the friendly type I would return their smiles and say ‘hello or good morning’ and I would smugly enjoy my sense of being complimented by these strangers. (or so I thought)

In the end, when I finally sat down back in our room, waiting on Peggy to give me the “I’m ready” signal, I looked down and noticed that my fly was open!

I got noticed alright, but maybe it wasn’t for the reasons I had imagined.

At 43, I still got to XYZ.

Frank

Wow! It's December! 2007 went by very fast. And for us, it was year of remission and thankfulness!

Praise the Lord, Frank is still in remission.

Dr. Barlogie wants him to continue with 3 more rounds of what Frank calls "chemo lite" and then return in 3 months.

Thank for you continued calls and prayers and love that you've shown our family.
We'll be in touch!

Merry Christmas!
Love, Peggy

Good morning... We are in Little Rock.

Frank is in his PET scan for a few hours. We aren't allowed to be together while he waits because he's glowing in the dark apparently.
So, I'm in the library on the computer.

Hopefully Frank will do the next entry. I'm trying to encourage him. We come back to see doctor on Thursday.

Love to all... peg

Happy Saturday to you! It is so nice outide ~ I love fall weather!

We are having a low key weekend. Chandler and Zach are on a senior high retreat with the church. Chase is hanging out with the old folks. What a thrill for an 11 year old!

Everybody is doing well. Other than some fatique, Frank is doing very well. His is very glad to not be in the clinic every week. We return to Little Rock after Thanksgiving for another check up.

We receive email from the Myeloma foundation and UAMS from time to time. I read this article today and wanted to put the link on here.

I am so very thankful for God's wisdom in the area of medicine. I believe it all originates from Him. He is the author of all wisdom, and the giver of every good and perfect gift... and of course... our Healer.

This article is very encouraging. Click here to read the UAMS article.

Have a blessed weekend! The Carlton gang!

Wow, I can't believe it's been since August since we updated. Remember, when there's no news, that's GOOD news.

Frank is doing well. He gave him self a must needed break from the chemo. Sometimes you just have to do what's right for you, you know what I mean? Dr. B is wonderful, but I think he'd have Frank taking something everyday ~ including holidays. Respectfully, of course, Frank told him he would take a few months off... and he did.

He's completed 2 (of 6) rounds. He hasn't been sick, but just some normal side effects that Frank takes in stride and keeps on keeping on. He's working hard at Elliott Data Systems, traveling more than ever, training a new sales guy, and having fun. Our chuch is having their annual Men's BBQ cooking contest. He is very excited about that and plans on having his cooking team with him on Friday. Like father, like son. And of course, Halloween is around the corner. I have no idea what he'll be this year, but if I know him like I think I do, he's already been trying to think of something.

Everybody else is doing good too. Chandler's enjoying school and is proud of her straight A's. Her notes look like she typed them... those are not my genes! She's still playing piano.
Zach is loving high school. He's also doing very well. The classes are more challenging and he loves being out of middle school..... did anybody like middle school? Do I see a hand raised? He's still playing competitive soccer, which keeps us busy. We were happy to be in Ft Smith, AR for his last tournament and got to visit some of Frank's family.
Chase had made the transition to middle school (poor guy). He is going to be in the school play ~ Cheaper by the Dozen ~ in Nov. He's practicing every day. He loves being back at ECS and is enjoying everyone he comes in contact with! Chase is very social... which makes the academic process a little more challenging! I might have to take him to a doctor, he has something that looks a lot like a phone growing out of his ear. Any thoughts? All in all they are all having a great year so far. We love seeing them grow into young adults and can't to see what God has in store for each one of them.

I'm settling down into a somewhat normal routine again after a very busy September. I spent most of the month being trained in Limited Obstectrical Ultrasound. I'll be using these new skills at Life Choices where I will work every Friday. It's a pregnancy center/adoption agency that Frank and I had been involved with many years ago. We used to be a cradle care family for them until Frank got MM in 2002. It's a wonderful ministry that we love and I'm happy to be able to use my nursing skills there. I'll also continue my job in the kitchen at Hope. I feel blessed to be serve along side the people there.

We stand in amazement and wonder at what God has done in our lives, and how far He has brought us. We are so very thankful for the healing he as granted to Frank. The 5 year mark is fast upon us. That is huge for us. With the average survival rate still reported as 3-5 years, we feel overwhelmed with how good Frank is doing after 5 years. It is humbling and leaves me at times speechless.... but not tearless.....and not without deep gratitude to the Greatest Physician... our Lord.

Thank you all for praying ~ still ~ and being so faithful for 5 years... and walking this jouney with us.

In His grace, Peg

Happy Birthday to Zach and Frank!!

To my September boys:

Happy Birthday!

Frank: 9-11 Zach 9-19

We love you ~ oh so much!

Well, It's the last weekend before school starts! Sunday's early to bed time. I am so sad... really! I would like a few more weeks.

Frank started his chemo "lite", as he calls it, on Thursday. Usually he doens't look forward to the steriods they give him. But this time, he welcomed it. They gave him a boost of energy that he was long missing, and he has felt some relief from the shingles.
Other that the hiccups that he always gets when he's on Dex, he's doing really good.

These treatments will be 2 days a week for 2 weeks, 10 days off, then the same cycle repeats for 6 months. We'll return to Little Rock after 3 of them for another check up.

Things have been busy in our family. Besides our quick trip to Little Rock and getting ready for school, my grandmother had surgery today for a hip fracture.

I hope this finds you all well and happy. We love you all! Peg

Hello Everyone !

I thought I would weigh in with a few comments.

If you have been keeping up with the talk around the "water cooler" you know that this week has been pretty tense.

It all started with my developing a limp about three weeks ago.

Peggy had started getting suspicious that my problem wasn't a simple leg strain, so she called the Dr's in Little Rock to ask a few questions. Once she did that, well they freaked out, which in turn caused us to freak out, so we (Peggy and I) wound up in Little Rock all week.

They ran a bunch of tests on me and found out that MY CANCER IS NOT BACK!
Yea me! Yeah God!!

The best part is that even though we were scared, we did turn to the Lord in prayer. Some folks even text messaged prayers or called me up and prayed with me on the phone.

The whole week reminded me of the Mercy Me song, 'Bring the Rain'.
The song brings up the fact that it might take "storms" in life to bring us closer to God. Well, I wish I could tell you that I was 100% faithful and had no doubts, but I did have doubts.

I actually got real choked up one morning and prayed for just a sprinkle, I told God that I wasn't ready for the rain,.... not now....things have been just been so good lately.
Well, He delivered....it was, just a sprinkle.

Thank you for your thoughts, kind words, and especially for your prayers. God once again answered by "holding our hands" as we walked through a valley.

The only downer is that I DO have the "SHINGLES".

So please, no big hugs, no slaps on the booty, and no bumping me in the hallway to see if I'll fall over, cause I will.

I am hurting, but it hurts so good! Yes, I am so happy to have the shingles!

Frank

Praises Praises Praises!!!

We are so thankful for good news. Frank is still in remission!

Shingles is to blame for all the pain he has in his leg. Frank said he never thought he'd be happy to have the shingles, but he is!!

We were on our way to hospital this afternoon and stopped in a parking lot for a few minutes. We read the devotion for Aug 2 out of a new book I have.

Today's verse was "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth... I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34: 1,4

I love it when God does that! His words are always right on time. Thank you all so much for your love and tender care over us, and our kids. We are so very blessed.

We're going to bed ~ in our OWN bed ~ with a grateful and thankful heart..... love, peg

I took this picture a few weeks ago when I was going out to check the mail.... I still stare at it.....

The day's been pretty good.

Just the normal routine for us when we come. We could do it with our eyes closed... and sometimes do. I don't know what is about a waiting room that makes me sleepy. It's like there's laughing gas in the air vents or something. I've been yawning and drowsy all morning.

Frank had the bone scan first this morning. The tech said it didn't look like a compression fracture to her. Humm... not what we wanted to hear. So, we'll just filter that news like this..."she can't tell from that ~ lets see what the MRI shows".

He self medicated, as usual, for the bone marrow biopsy. New drugs this time. They didn't work as well. He said this one was much more painful for him than it had been in a long time. He's glad it's over. The tech was bragging on her bone sample. I was happy to hear that. Let's get some answers!

We're waiting on the MRI at 6. It's a full body, so it'll take several hours. He usually sleeps through them so that's good. Another waiting room... a nap for me too!

Frank and I are both glad we're here. It's always an adjustment, on many levels of emotions, to come back. Especially when it's an unscheduled visit like this one. But he is hurting quite a bit and he's limping. He woke up in the middle of the night needing medicine, which he's not eager to do usually. He knows we needs some answers and he's just wanting to feel good again.

Please pray these will tests will give us answers. Of course, our hearts desire is that he still be in remission. But as he and I prayed together this morning.... prepare our hearts for Your will, and give us the strength to live out in faith Your plan for us, in order to give You glory.

He's reading all this over my shoulder... (i can't get him to type) and sends his love to all..............

Hi everybody,

It's been 5 minutes since i wrote "hi everybody".

That sort of tells where this is headed. We're sorry we don't update more often. I guess when things are going well, we don't want to bore people.

We were in Greenville last weekend and one of the family's dear friends said "I check the website all the time and they're not anything new on it. Please let me know how you are doing". That made us feel good and guilty. I'm glad people are still checking on us. Because if you are, that means we are still on your prayer list. And that's a great thing... because we are asking for your prayers now.

Frank hasn't been feeling himself for about a month now. Started out just fatigue, then it moved to back and leg pain, then a rash we thought was shingles (but it wasn't), but the leg pain didn't go away. He was checked for a blood clot and that was negative. So we called UAMS to talk to a nurse. The answer was "come now, asap".

So, we are headed to Little Rock for testing to begin on Tuesday. Frank has Bone Density test 8:30, labs, bone marrow biopsy 10:45, MRI 6:00. Pet scan on Wed, and Dr Barlogie appointment on Thursday.

We are trying not to worry until we have reason to. yeah right. Anybody that's had something on their mind knows that's better said than done. Mostly, Frank is annoyed, to quote him. He had a lot going on this week at work. And being sick isn't something you just pencil into your calendar.

We'll keep you updated as we know something. We are praying the cancer hasn't returned. If it's a back related issue, we're guessing a compression fracture. He had a vetebral-plasty for another compression several years ago and has done great. It can be serious but if they caught it early, it's a fixable problem.

Someone else we saw this summer asked us to update on the kids. They are all doing great.

Chase is starting 6th grade. He'll play football for the school. He wears his pads almost daily around the house. I'm going to need to redo my door frames ~ he doesn't know how wide he is. I can relate. It can be a problem!

Zach is starting 9th grade. The low man on the pole again. I think he's excited, but he's a guy and his vocabulary has been reduced to about 10 words in his "13th" year of living. He's still playing club soccer for Lobos.

Chandler is 10th grade this year. She's still playing piano and playing french horn for the concert band. She has a boyfriend, a fine young man. And, of course, she's driving us everywhere still. She even drove us to Greenville and back on the same day. I think I'm more ready for her to be driving than she is. I NEED her!!

Chandler and Zach are taking 3 of the same classes this year: biology, geometry and computer. They have computer together in same class. They are excited about that and think it'll be fun to have a class together. They have both done mission work this summer, and taken the church conference trip to Padre. It's been eventful for all of them.

Thank you for your continued support of our family and for lifting Frank up in prayer. We knew when this started, that is would be a marathon, not a sprint.

People would tell us all the time: "I pray for you everyday." Frank would say, "please don't do that". That got a look. He'd continue, "you'll get tired of praying for me if you do that. I need you for the long haul. Pick one day week ~ trash day ~ and pray for me then."

So... go take out the trash! !

Only by His grace, Peggy

Praise God for His faithfulness and answers to your prayers!

The news is all good from Little Rock. Peggy and I met with Dr. Barlogie yesterday and he said everything looks really good.

No protiens can be detected, they did not find any new active disease or lesions, and my bones are repairing themselves.

He presecribed 6 more cycles of chemo for preventative maintenance and I go back in 3 months for another review.

Peggy and I are so thankful for all the prayers and help during these times. Without your support, making these journies would be so difficult.

Love Frank

Happy Tuesday,

Things went well today. Frank had to be at radiology by 10. We've been thinking all this time they were going into the shoulder lesion they found when he relapsed in 2005. But, they didn't.

They said that all the other lesions he has have shown some changes. These are changes that show where his body is trying to repair itself. This takes years depending on how big the lesion is but it's still a good sign to see.

But the lesion they went into today was the largest one he's had from the beginning. It's in his right hip. They said it hasn't changed over the 4+ years. So, that's where they went in today.

We did feel good about it because he said it is not a "hot spot". So, although that makes us feel really confident.... why are they doing this? We don't know.

Frank said the experience was a new one for him and strange at best. He was on his back. The went in from the front so he got to watch the whole thing..... he'd tell it better than me so I'll skip all that.....

After we left there, we drove to Hot Springs for him do some work. While he was in his meeting, I got to browse the quaint little shops there. I had a neat experience while I was alone there.
There was a veteran on an old bike decorated with more flags than he had room for. He got off his bike to go into the coffee shop that I was sitting in front of. I struck up a conversation with him but, of course, quickly noticed that he didn't talk. He had one of those black boxes that you use to make your vocal cords vibrate so he can talk. To be honest.... this one of those guys that most people ~yes, I have been guilty of this ~ would avoid eye contact with. But he had smiled so genuinely at me, and we DID catch eyes. That made me really want to talk to him. We had a nice conversation about the obvious... places he's lived, how he got his bike (not a motorcycle, a 10 speed), and why I was in AR. He had cancer of the throat in 1995 and has been using the box since then. He said everyday that he wakes up and gets out of the bed is a great day. And we talked about the blessing of healing! Then he rode off on his only mode of transportion.

But he told me I made his day and thanked me for talking to him... which, in turn, made my day.
We are in the hotel room for the night. I plan to watch Idol and vote from here. Frank has been in and out of naps...

We see the famous Dr. Barlogie tomorrow at 10:30. And we are very anxious to get home... love to all.

Well, things have gone well this morning.

The biopsy is over. Frank said the rest of the day has to go better now that it's over.

We had an MD watching the tech to learn. She's going to work in LA and the MD's there do their own bone marrow pulls. She watches 10, then does 10.

Good medical training! We were #6 to be watched. Frank and I giggled on the way out that we were going to count to people in the waiting room and then start warning people! "sir, I'd reschedule if I were you!" But we didn't.

He's in the PET scan waiting room. He's radioactive now, so I can't be with him. He'll be about 2 hours, so I came to the library to check email and talk to you guys... MRI tonight at 7 pm. Then we'll be ready for bed!

Psalm 62: 5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Thank you for praying for us. We feel it!!

Mother's Day

Well, Happy Mother's Day to all the momma's out there. I know it's great to get the homemade cards, extra hugs and kisses and special treats! For me... I had all that.... I just wish I was little enough to fit in my mom's lap without hurting her! I have tried several times these past years. She never complains about my weighing more than her and even though her legs are probably numb... she makes it work. Cause she's my mom!!

We are in Little Rock. We dropped the kids off at youth group and left from church. I think we got here in one hour!! He won't tell me how fast he was going. We were singing to the ipod and I was doing a puzzle. Next thing I know we were here. In record time. Anyway... he's asleep with the remote control in his hand.

The past month has been such a roller coaster for me. I was starting to feel anxious and nervous about coming back. I didn't really share it with Frank, but I did with some of my girlfriends. But as I prayed through it, I felt very strengthened by the Lord. I just felt like the message from God was that He was getting me ready for something and reminding me that He would be there. Just trust in Him and stay close! Well, I assumed that related to Frank's checkup and I started to worry again.... which made me pray even more.

God is so sweet to just meet us where we are. And prayer is so powerful. I know we all know that.... why it surprises us is a mystery. Different things have come up in the past few weeks. Normal life stuff... but all things that sent to my knees...you know... just throw you back for a bit... and now I feel such a peace about all that and the check up too. I know He is right here.
We had the sweetest day at church. We worked all week making food for the Mother's Day picnic lunches we sell for the youth. It is such a tiring week, but the timing was perfect. I was busy all week with little time to think about anything else. It is fun.... we sold the food this weekend.

Being with everyone there is so great. The love we feel and share with everyone there is so very special to us. We feel so blessed to have our Hope family.

The bone marrow biopsy is first thing tomorrow. He'll have ... um... pain meds for breakfast. They should kick in fast because he can't eat until after the PET scan.
Frank told people today he was planning on getting more "wholy" while he was here. Another bone marrow biopsy... and one from the shoulder this time too. He makes me laugh.

I'll be updating every day while we're here. Thank you for your prayers. We know they work!!
Love to all...... Peg

Hi everybody,
Well, Frank is pleased, and very relieved that the 6 rounds of chemo are OVER!!
Yeah!! And even more than that, God blessed him with no complications.
We are indeed thankful.

We will return to Little Rock on May 14th for testing. Dr. Barlogie has requested a fine needle biopsy of his shoulder lesion. That hasn't been done since Oct 05 when they found the "nasty" stuff, as Dr B called it. The other tests are the normal routine.... MRI, bone marrow biopsy, blood work, and PET scan.

Everything else is normal! Praise the Lord for normal! Soccer, tennis, guitar, piano, baseball, youth group and more.... and Chandler drives us everywhere we need to go!! She's a pro already ~ except that we haven't done the Interstate yet.... no hurry.

Love to you all, Peg

Hope everyone had a very blessed Easter holiday!

Happy Birthday to our dear Chandler!!! She's 15 today.... and going to take her driving permit test tomorrow. Yeah.

Frank started the 6th ~ and last ~ VTD treatment today. His platelets were above 100.

Chandler and I took lunch up to him yesterday and sat with him for a little while. It was a neat day, because we ran into people we knew... it was their first time there... they were nervous. I showed them around and took them back to see Frank in the chemo room. Frank talked with them more after we left and prayed with them. Visits like that remind us how blessed we are.

God was so sweet to give us the opportunity to meet a need for them and once again remind us that He will use this whole process for His glory. It wasn't "just another chemo treatment" ~ it was a divine appointment.

We return to Little Rock in May for a full work up. We feel good about where Frank is and how he's doing. We are looking forward to great results.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us. God is so faithful! Peg

Over the past days several people have asked me why there have been so few updates. I must apologize for "holding back".

When things are going well, (which they are) there isn't a lot to say without repeating myself. You know - like today ...I woke up, brushed my teeth, ate a sausage egg & cheese McGriddle, and went to work in Nashville and did stuff like that.....boring.

I have been taking some rounds of Chemotherapy though, which can have some interesting side effects. It isn't about being sick, but I do get to feeling wierd sometimes....
Frank....:o)

Well, praise God for good news !

As Peg mentioned in the previous post, we anticipated getting good news and that's what we got. There were no Myeloma proteins found, no new lesions, and the lesions where the cancer had attacked the bone in the past were stable.

Dr Barlogie and his assistant Aimee were all smiles and said we would continue with the consolidation Chemo treatments as planned.

The only down side to the day was that I picked up the "bug" that Chandler has been fighting and I felt bad the whole day. I'll be over it soon enough.

Thank you all for your prayers....God is still saying yes!
Frank

Frank and I went to Little Rock yesterday for testing.

Things went very well. No PET scan this time, so it saved us some time too.

The bone marrow biopsy went well. Frank's meds kicked in and the procedure wasn't as painful. (At least that's what he said... it looks painful to me) They also made him sleep the whole way home... and the whole rest of the day.. and night!!

We return to Little Rock tomorrow to see the doctor and get the results. We feel really good about things and don't expect anything but a good clean report.

That would be a great Valentine Day present wouldn't it?

We'll be in touch to share what we know soon. Thank you for your continued prayers. May God richly bless each one of you.

Chandler's been home sick this week. Please pray for her quick recovery and that Frank (or the rest of us) won't get it.

Love, Peggy

Well, the news said this was suppose to be the most depressing day of the year.... That was our local newspaper. Today, my bible said "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it".

And rejoice we did. Frank got word that his lab reports (that he mails in to Little Rock) showed no trace of Myeloma in his blood.
That means the treatments are keeping him in remission. Everythings good!

We go to Little Rock for a full work up in Feb, but it's nice that we can go over there with such confidence in the results beforehand.

Frank finished the 4th and last treatment in the 3rd cycle of his VTD (Velcade, Thalidimide and Decadron for the medical minded). He's tolerated everything very well. His platelets started at 126, and are now 58.

But as long as he's not needing a transfusion, we won't complain.
Thank you for your continued prayers! They're working... Peg

My, my, my...how time flies when...well..things are going really well!

Sorry for the delay in posting information, and to be frank, Peggy as been holding back on making updates. She has been asking me to post some entries and I've been procrastinating.

When I got on here tonight it was confirmed; our last update was Dec 2006. I couldn't believe that it had been so long. Man that was all the way back in last year!

So here is the latest and greatest - I am happy to report that I am 1 treatment away from having completed my 3rd cycle of Velcade. (each cycle is 4 treatments)

Surprisingly I have had few side effects with these treatments - my energy level is really good, my blood values have stayed within reasonable limits, and mostly I haven't gotten sick from some nasty virus or bacteria.

In fact, I have started walking/jogging of late. I haven't consistently done that in years. Peggy and I think that with the last transplant they must of given me some "special reserve" stem cells that they had been holding out on me. Maybe these things get better with age, who knows, but I do feel extremely blessed no matter what happened.

I return to Little Rock in Feb. to go through an evaluation and then see Dr Barlogie. I plan on asking Dr B. if he snuck something in the transplant cells that he didn't tell me about. I'll let everyone know what CSI Frank-in-Little Rock turns up. Of course with my schedule I probably won't post the answer to the "special cells" question until March or April 08.

For me, 2007 has started out as a great challenge.

As long as I am feeling good I am going to make the best of things.

It also still astounds me at how many of people are still faithful in keeping us lifted up in prayer. I run into to you (people) almost every day and you tell me that you are still asking God for His mercy and blessings on our family.

Just so there is no doubt – God has answered and He as said yes, Frank can stay awhile longer!
And the beautiful thing about His answer to your prayers is the fact that I have such a renewed sense of purpose. I plan on making the most of His gift.

I was able to take the boys hunting with my family after Christmas. Our nephew Read shot a deer, and as long as we had the 4 wheeler......a good time was had by all!!

Blessings to you too - more later - Frank

Hi everyone,

Today completed the last treatment of the 1st of 6 rounds of chemo. Boy, that sounded confusing! He gets 10 days off now.

He's doing great. His platelets only dropped 6 points. They're 120. His other lab values were good. He feels good... working... normal!!!

We have been saddened to hear of another Myeloma patient from Memphis that passed away in Oct while in Little Rock. We didn't know this man, but another patient that knows us both was checking in with us on the phone the other day. She called us to see how Frank was doing. This man had relapsed in Aug, and was having a 3rd transplant at the same time Frank was in Sept. I don't know how we missed each other in that small unit ~ it's like family up there. We were there at the same time.

Even though we didn't know him personally, it is amazing how affected you are to hear such news. It's like watching a wreck in your rear view mirror and knowing that could have been you just as easily. We don't understand the sovereignty of God and it's overwhelming to think about how God has a plan for each one of our lives. When it comes right down to it, we are nothing but grateful for each answered prayer we've had, and each blessing that has been given to our family regarding Frank's health.

We are thankful to God for his 2nd remission and will give Him all the glory for it.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen." Eph 3: 20-21

It is well, ...it is well, .....it is well with my soul!

And, according to Dr. Barlogie it is also well with my bone marrow. The latest round of tests provided us with a good clean report. Praise God!

According to the fine Dr's in Little Rock I am in remission. In fact the places on my bones where the cancer had attacked are healing up.

The next step in this on-going battle will be what is known as consolidation chemotherapy. This means I will cycle through another 6 rounds of chemo - 2 weeks on - 10 days off.
This process will take from now until about May 2007 to complete.

The really good news about this treatment is that they (Univ. of Arkansas MIRT) have clinical results that show that this treatment regimen really does keep High Risk patients in remission.
If you weren't aware I am a High Risk patient.

That's about it. Keep lifting me and the family up.
God has seen fit to keep me here for a while longer. Pray that I spend myself wisely in His service.

Frank

Well, we are in Little Rock. He's almost done with everything and we can get on the road to Memphis. Things have gone well.

The bone marrow was one of his best ever ~ said he hardly felt anything. He gave the tech a big hug. Now he's locked in the big radioactive room and I can't go in there...so I decided to come check my email.

Halloween was fun. I'll put a picture up next time. I keep forgetting to hook up the camera. Frank was a conehead (like from Saturday Night Live). He wasn't as excited about his costume this year, so the mood seemed low key. Plus it was cold and rainy.
He missed the festival at church because of a fever, and he was bummed about it. That's when we have our fun.

But on Tues, little bitty ghost and goblins came just the same. I don't know about your neighborhood, but it was the year of the witch at our house. Not as many princesses as I normally see on little girls.

The break has been wonderful. Frank made the comment that it seems longer than 5 weeks. We are praying for great results. We don't really know what the doctor has in mind as far as future treatments. He's ready for a break. So, please pray that God will go before and prepare Frank's heart for what he has to say on Monday.

Pray that he would have wisdom and clear direction on what to do next.

We love you all and feel so very blessed!! All covered up in His grace, Peg

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while...but that's always good news! Things have been so wonderful since we wrote last. Frank is a walking miracle ~ and it's amazing to see him doing so well.

He's only doing labs every 2 weeks now, so he didn't go to West this past Monday.

However... he started running fever last night. After trying to go to work today, he decided to come home and go to bed. His fever's been as high as 102 tonight. He's on an antibiotic, but the clinic is closed over the weekend. We'll pray things get better before Monday.

Everything else is good. Chandler is about to leave on a band trip to Orlando next week and Zach is going to Nashville for a tournament the same weekend. And it's the same Friday/Monday that'll we'll be in Little Rock for his checkup.

We are praying that Frank gets better quickly. That this is just a small virus that will run it's course and not turn into anything else more complicated. And that no one else will get it so we don't pass it around.

Thank you for your prayers for our family and for our Frank.

In Him, Peggy

Happy Tuesday!

Things are busy but good around our house... I'm happy to report that our house is probably just like yours right now. We love that...getting back to normal!

It's fall break for Chase, but not the others. He's been with his friends for the past few days hanging out. Zach's routine is the same... school and soccer. And Chandler's been sick since Sat. She was running fever and had some other stuff going on. She's going back to school tomorrow ~ we hope.

Even Casey (our dog) has a house guest... her buddy is here for the week. They're having fun.

Frank has managed to escape getting whatever she has. That's an answer to prayer. He had labs drawn Monday and they were almost exactly what they were last week. That's not bad ~ about status quo for him. We'd like to see his red count come up. That would give him more stamina. But he's really doing good.

Our church, Hope Presbyterian is having the Men's BBQ cookoff this Friday, and he's been planning and getting ready for that ever since he came home. It'll a big time for he and his friends. They always have fun.

Everyone have a safe and good fall break with your kiddos... Thank you for keeping in touch with us. And for praying for us. And for rejoicing with us over what God has done! "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice." Phil 4:4

Happy Friday loved ones.

Frank saw Dr. Johnson here in Memphis yesterday for a check up. He's doing good.

Platelets are 138! That is higher than they were going into the transplant. Wonderful!
He's still fighting some upper respitory stuff, but no fever.

He's looking for ideas for what to be for halloween. Any suggestions are welcome!!
Have a great weekend.
We love you all.
Peg

Happy Monday!

Frank got his labs back from our local clinc today. Everything looks good.

Platelets are already 102!! Huge Praise.
White count 3.2 and everything else looks good.
No fever since we left Little Rock.

His recovery is truely a miracle ~ just a miracle. God is so good.

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
AMEN AND AMEN

We're home.......... again!
We're planning on staying away from Little Rock until Nov. We actually turned in the keys to the apt and officially left.

Frank went to the hospital yesterday morning having been fever free since Wed. afternoon. His blood pressure/heart heart were about the same, so they gave him some more fluid. Cat scan results were normal. Labs looked good. They decided to do a "just to be safe" MRI of his shoulder. He'd been having some pain that mimicked the shoulder pain he had when he relapsed. Praise God that it was negative. No myeloma was seen.

So, we gladly headed home. Frank will do lab work twice a week in Memphis, go back to work and move forward!

For I know the plans I have for you, delcares the Lord. Plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11,13

Good evening. Another full day at the hospital, and still no answers.

On paper, Frank looks great.
White count is 2.5. That's low for you and me, but not for him.
Platelets are 78. Still increasing.
Hematocrit is still 10 but that's expected too.
The infection indicatior called the CRP is below 0.5. All good.

But he still has fever. Blood pressure was 88/60 and heart rate was 155. Could be better.
The nurse said she thought she heard some crackles in his lungs. And they did a cat scan today of his head and chest.

If nothing shows up tomorrow, we'll probably coming home. (As I type this, he just took his temp... NO FEVER)

The guest book is full. Someone does that for us, so we'll try to fix it soon. When you read the updates, another way to sign is to click on "comments" at the bottom of the update. I don't think there is a limit there. Thanks for keeping up with us. We love it, we read them to each other depending on who's at the computer.

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

OK - Time for an Update!

It's noon and we are sure there are some curious voyuers out there.
Here's the skinny.......no one knows whats wrong with me.

The labs came back good, infection detector - CRP - was <.05 - which is very low. These tests tell the Dr's that there is nothing obvious to zero in on.

I have been sitting at UAMS taking IV antibiotics all morning and after we do this thing called a nasal wash, I can go back to the apartment. I'm told nasal washing is really fun. I'll let you know!

Instead of praying that they will find out what is wrong with me, let's just start praying that the mystery infection will mysteriously go away.

We love you guys and will be home soon......
Frank & Peggy

Good evening.
Today has been a roller coaster of emotions. Without a lot of narrative ~ here are the facts.... oh beloved prayer warriers.

Frank's running fever that keeps going up. It's 8 pm now and it's 102.3. We've been at West Clinic all day. They wanted to admit him to Baptist East, but we made the decisions to return to Little Rock after talking with them.

The emotions of all this have us gripped right now. You can only imagine. We were home. Glorious weekend at church. Fever, and in the midst of it all, a dear family friend passed away today.... of Multiple Myeloma. We won't even be able to attend Barabara's funeral.

Our hearts are saddended. We are anxious about tomorrow... you know...
But we are assured of so much. God is in control. He has us in His hands and we are confident as we leave our family once again, that we are still making the right choice.

I'm thankful for the verse in Romans that tells us that the Spirit knows how to pray for us when our hearts are too burdened.
Pray for Frank, for our family friends, and thank you for your faithfulness.
We love you. Peggy and Frank

WE ARE HOME!!

We saw Dr. Barlogie Friday afternoon. He was very pleased with how things went. Platelets were 37, so labs will be drawn in Memphis until they are over 100.

We return to Little Rock in November for a full work up.
The recovery process is still in motion but everything looks great.

We get the IMF (International Myeloma Foundation) newsletter emailed to us. There was this article on it featuring UAMS. It's about a study that brings hope for treatments that are more individualized based on genetic groups (blah blah blah), but it states that they are largest Myeloma center in the world. Isn't that amazing? We are so blessed that we can drive over in a couple of hours, not have to fly, be able to see the kids with ease, and so many other things yet still be so confident that the best care in the world for his type of cancer is so close.

We're laying low this weekend. Driving kids to homecoming, dances, parties and playing Monopoly. We won't update on a daily basis anymore, probably weekly.

This website is a blessing for us, and we hope it has been for you too. Some people sign the guestbook... and we love that... and others tell us they check it but don't ever sign... so we only assume that others check it and we don't know about it....

But if you are reading this... you have been prayed for by us. We thank God that you have been faithful to pray for us, care about us, love us and walk this jouney with us.

Part of what gets us by is knowing we aren't alone. It means so much. We are praying blessings on YOUR family!!

Only by HIS grace, Frank, Peggy, Chandler, Zach and Chase, and our WHOLE family!!!

Well everyone here it is....we've been cleared for release!

Praise God Almighty and the saints in His care.

The labs came back great today, my body is working like mad to push out fresh cells, and I have an appoinment on Friday to see the Dr.

The photo is of (most) my care team. They watched over me and helped steer me through this process. These ladies are the best and I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate thier service.

It is hard to believe this is winding down but again, we are so excited!
Love Frank & Peggy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH !!!!!! You're finally 13!

Your mom and dad love you so much!! We are looking forward to celebrating your birthday very soon! Have a wonderful wonderful day and enjoy being 13! You were born at 9:12 am.... so watch the clock and smile real big for yourself. We are proud of you and so glad God entrusted you to us.

INSOMNIA REPORT 2:30 am

I don’t know if these kinds of thought processes ever happen to anyone else, but they happen to me.
Tonight, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the events of the day, and even events from previous days, started replaying in my mind. Some thoughts are random like, I wish I knew that name of that cool song I heard today, or the topics can be real heavy weights.

Like, how much more abuse can my body take from all these treatments?What happens then?
After about 30 minutes of this fruitless thinking I remembered that it isn’t my job to worry about tomorrow.

I went and read Matthew 6:25-34 and re-reminded myself that as a child of God, He will take care of me. God knows what I need before I (or we) even ask. The events of my life are in His hands.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we should not ask Him for help when we run into trouble, just that we have to trust His answers.

So, as my insomnia became dulled by the stress of treatment, I got on my hands and knees. I pressed my face into the floor and I thanked God for all the blessings He has given. I thanked Him for all the people who have reached out to me and my family, and I thanked Him in advance for healing me and giving me enough health that I can go home soon.

To everyone that has even as much as said a kind word to me and my family – may God richly bless you.

Frank

later today:

Todays visit to the hospital was a good one. Everything went as planned -good lab values and no reactions to the medications. I was such a good boy that I didn't even need any platlets.

If I can produce the same results tomorrow we will be able to start talking (thinking) about coming home. Wow, it seems so wild to think this is almost over.
Here's to seeing everyone soon! Frank

SUPER SUNDAY!

What a day!! We had an 11 hour day at the hospital. If you're one of those people that read the last sentence in a book to make sure it ends good, than this is for you: He's doing okay and we got some good news today.

After I posted last night about his fever, it went up to 102. We started the infusor and gave him Tylenol, but still had 101+ this morning. They ran cultures, and he got his regular antibiotic. He was already scheduled to get 2 bags of whole blood today, but his platelets were 17 so he needed those too.

He had a severe reaction to the platelets. He had a reaction like this last Thursday, but they thought it was the anti fungal instead of the platelets. It was intense for while.
Fever 104, blood pressure dropped, wet with sweat. But our nurse was wonderful and took really good care of him. He was shaking so bad they had to get his blood pressure down at his ankle.

That reaction caused a chain of events... chest x-ray, 2 more antibiotics, a bag of fluid, iv push drugs, demeral and more. But he still needed the whole blood.

So, in the middle of that transfusion, he breaks out in a sweat again and I got the nurse. His reaction wasn't as severe. But his fever did shoot up again. He finished only one bag... they are waiting to give the other one tomorrow.

That's only the short version believe it or not. But in the midst of all that we got great great news.

His white count went from 0.6 to 2.04!! He's not neutropenic anymore! Yeah. And if they rule out any infection tomorrw, they may make a discharge appointment for Dr. Barlogie this week.

We might be home by the weekend. How awesome is that?? He's so proud of himself.

Don't ever doubt Frank's sense of humor. At the scariest moment during the reaction, he's shaking so bad, the nurse is right in middle of pushing his IV Demeral and his vitals are crazy......

He holds his breath and "plays dead" for a second. We all sort of just stop and stare at him and he opens his eyes and smiles at her. She wanted to kill him and I don't blame her!! I smacked his bald head. Same feeling when you think your child is lost. You're so panicked and when you see that they're safe you hug them and then yell at them.

So, his stem cells are grafting. His bone marrow is working hard to recover. They are running test that will try to explain the reaction to the platelets and we may have some answers tomorrow.

Lisa came to get the kids for me. She stopped in to say hi on the way and was there for all the action. Then she got the kids and took them home for us. I haven't even talked to Zach since this morning but they had tied one, and won 2 games.

Thank you so much for you prayers, and your encouragement all along the way. We are thankful for answered prayer, for God's continued watch care over Frank. And we are renewed with strength knowing this is almost over!

With love to you all, Peg and Frank

Hi guys,

We have a prayer request. Frank's fever is going up. It's 101 now. He has an antiobiotic infusor but the protocol is fever 101.5 or higher. So we won't hook it up yet. The bones will ache from the growth factor shots, but with his headache and the aching, the rising fever could be more than we originally thought. He's been in the bed all day with a cold rag and ice pack on his head.

Please pray this fever is not from an infection and that if it is, that God would heal him from it quickly. The desire of our heart is that Frank have a complete and full recovery from this transplant without complication.

He just wanted to rest and have some quiet. The zoo is just 10 miles or less from here, so I took Chandler and Chase out for an hour or so while he slept. We're all here together now.
The little bit of time we were at the zoo, it was nice. Not because the zoo was good though.

Chandler thought we should ask for our money back, and I didn't disagree. Only the primates were out. Except for one momma/nursing camel and some fish we fed for 25 cents, all the other animals were on vacation. We didn't see anybody! But the apes and monkeys were worth the trip. We giggled and laughed with them and learned a few things too. We think it was mating season... saturday night... and a beautiful day. Let's just say I had a lot of explaining to do for Chase. But I digress.......

I miss Zach. I called to check on them while we were at the zoo. They tied their first game. I wish he were here.

Thank you for praying with us and for Frank.
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Heb 4:16

"No Pain, No Gain" That's the theme for the weekend!

I came back to Little Rock with Chandler and Chase yesterday. The kids were happy to see Daddy. I was happy to see him too!! We just hung out and watched TV. We found Talk Soup on E! and I haven't heard Frank laugh so hard in a long time. We were all having a good time laughing. Frank and the kids went through a box of popsicles between them... one right after another... I think for the jokes on the sticks.

Where do bees go for their day off? To the wax museum.
What kind of key can't open a door? A donkey.

Okay.....Don't everybody rush out to buy a box of popsicles!

Ok, one more.

What animal hates doing the laundry? A leopard because he has lots of spots.

Pain: Even in the midst of laughing at Talk Soup, Frank wasn't feeling good. He started running a fever. The growth factor shots they give him were making his back throb with every move. He took a Darvon but was up all night and very uncomfortable.

Gain: We got to the clinic this morning, both looking like we've had a rough night. We both had headaches and he's been hurting all night. They always say that if you're hurting, that means the growth factor shots are working. They are right!

White count 0.61 ~ up from 0.02
Platelets 20 ~ up from 7. Go Frank! Go Frank!

He needed some fluid, potassium and magnesium and his head is hurting really bad but we are so pleased, and thankful for his progress. The fever was his body working hard to make cells. It's called a nuetrapenic fever. It's not from an infection.
His red counts were low today. Hematocrit 25 and Hemoglobin 8. They said he may get a bag of blood tomorrow. He's back in the bed asleep right now.

We miss Zach. He's in Nashville with his Lobos team playing in a tournament. Please pray for his safety while we're apart and success for the team.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary. And the young men shall utterly fal.
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. The shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 28-31

Today was pretty routine labs, antibiotics, platlets, and a cup of lime serbert. The sherbert was in the fridge in the break room. It made me feel better than any of the stuff the nurses did to me.

On the whole today was a break even day. Nothing cooking on the platlets or white cells yet. Perhaps Saturday will bring a well deserved bump.

Once I get started moving up, I'll be pumping those White cells out by the millions. I guess I'll have to lay around and watch bad movies for a few more days.

Peg, Chandler, and Chase are coming to Little Rock today. Yippie! Can't wait to see them. Zach will be in Nashville playing soccer for the Lobos. Go Zach! Go Lobos!

Frank

Today's labs brought much of the same news,
WBC .02 (which is higher),
Platlets 7 and no infection.

I recieved a bag of platlets today and will probably get at least one more before this process gets completed.

On the whole, things are going well. Except for the exahustion, I have been feeling good.

Since I got here I have been asking everyone where they are from. It appears that the traveler from farthest away is from Delaware. It really is neat to meet people from all over the country. It is also very neat when I find out they are believers. The strength that we draw from each other is really neat.

That's it for now, Frank

Well, We learn something new everyday. (That's suppose to be a good thing, I think)

His white count lowered today to 0.01. So, somebody was wrong when they said 0.02 was the lowest the machine could calculate. I hope that's it, cause I'd hate to think Frank just did something new.
His platelets were 9, but they didn't have any to give him.... so.... he didn't get any.

That makes me feel really guilty because I have 100 missed calls from Life-Blood at home. Platelets have a really short shelf life. They take 2 days to process and only have 5 days before they expire. It's hard to do a direct donation for him. I've tried before but the timing gets tricky and he never gets mine.

I got really home-sick....kid-home-sick and made a quick decision to come home for a couple of days. Mom and I switced places. I picked up carpool, and studied for a 5th grade science test with Chase all night.

Frank is where he's suppose to be. His numbers won't start coming up until the 18 or 19th. So all this is normal and expected. He really is doing good!!

Our - (yours, mine and his) prayers are being answered. He's been fever free and other than fatiqued, symptom free. The "chemo" fog is lifting and he's staying awake longer too. More time for us to stare at each other! Although, he did beat me at backgammon the other day.

We love you all.... you make the journey so much easier for us. Thank you!!

Happy Tuesday everybody.

Frank's platelets are 19 today, so the APN said she'd wait unitl tomorrow for a transfusion. White count still 0.02. No signs of infection.

He is doing fabulous. He satisfied his cravings today with a Sonic corndog and peach tea... his current favorite. We're back at the apt now and he's resting.

We were reminded today of these precious truths by a dear friend.
Thank all of you so much for your encouraging words and prayers. We know with all our heart that God is answering your prayers. Praise the Lord!

"The Lord is faithful in all He says, He is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads." Psalm 145:13-14

Happy Birthday to Frank! He's 42 today.

He's doing well. His blood work today was good. White count still 0.02, but the bag of platelets did pretty good. Holding at 24. No transfusion today.

He's slept most of the day, and we're heating up left overs for dinner. It's raining here. I've been working this afternoon to help pass the time.

Hope you are all having a great day. I'm thankful for so much today. And like you all, very proud to be an American!! The shows about 9/11 are moving.

In His grace, Peggy

Good evening,

I'm sorry we haven't updated until now. Frank is doing well. Levels are dropping as expected. His white count is 0.02. A nurse told us once that this is the lowest the machine can caculate. I guess we'll see if that's true.
Platelets are 14. He got his first platelet transfusion today. Red counts are low too. Hematacrit 29.

Hope that's not too boring for most of you. We have some family and friends that like to know the actual lab values, and some will tell me they don't know what it means....

We haven't updated because we've sort of been bad. We decided to sneak home on Friday and be back in Little Rock on Saturday for his daily lab values and anitbiotic. We confided in our APN and she sweetly turned a deaf ear to our plan knowing we'd be back in less than 24 hours, even though she pleaded with us to be careful because of his platelet count. I guess she saw the determination in our eyes.

We made it home, and within the hour we got a phone call from her. "Oh my gosh" was all we could say... she's going to make us come back... But we were wrong, she showed mercy on us. She said she'd been thinking since we left and she thought Frank would be fine to take a day off and to come back Sunday. What a gift!!

Frank rested all day and night, never left the house and only got up once or twice. The kids were glad to see him and we just hung out Friday and Saturday.

I worked in the yard for 6 hours.
Each one of the kids helped me at different times, so that was nice too. I keep trying to perfect my weed eater skills, but one of boys will get frustrated watching me and take it from me. I keep telling them I can't learn if they do that, but they take it from me anyway.

It felt great to be outside working, being productive and not too far away from Frank. We got back to the clinic by 2 this afternoon.

So here we are... back in the apartment watching Manning vs Manning on TV. I feel sorry for the other players that showed up to play. Peyton and Eli are the only ones they seem to be talking about.

This is the day that the Lord has made!!
And we are rejoicing.............much love........ peg and frank

Well, he did it!

It's 1:00 and the cells have been in for about 20 minutes. They're monitoring his vitals and giving him fluid. We'll be here for about 2 hours just to make sure he doens't have a reaction.
He got 6 million cells. He's the "6 million stem cell man".

We prayed over these cells with our APN, and the tech that delivered the cells. We thanked God for his faithfulness, the wisdom given to the doctors, and the wonder of the cells that will grow to be the blood that sustains his life. We are thankful for his health, for how well he's done and for the opportunity we have to just have this transplant.

Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to HIm, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting. And His truth endures to all generations.

Well, things are finally starting to happen. We went in for his last of the 3 Melphalan doses. It's the same routine every day. Vitals, labs, fluids, antibiotics and today, chemo. His lab values came back with some news....

He's neutropenic today. That means his white count is below 1,000. It's 0.84. Platelets are 43. The red cells are dropping as well. The party has started.

Tomorrow is transplant day. He'll get his stem cells in the morning. The wierd thing about them is the odor. The preservatives that are in the bag come out through your pores. People describe it differently, but I think it's an acidic sort of odor. Sort of like V8 juice. I bought some candles today. Anybody ever mix v8 juice and vanilla together?

Prayer requests for the next 10 days is mostly for Frank to stay free of infection. They monitor his labs daily for his electrolytes. He gets things as needed. And we want those little cells to graft quickly so his counts can come up fast.

What do we do all day?? It's pretty low key actually. Frank comes home and watches TV and sleeps on and off for most of the day. I walked around the apt complex yesterday for about 45 minutes. It was a beautiful day. I do different things: bible study, a little work (data entry), watch tv with Frank...... not much really. That's why we love hearing from you. We check the website/email several times in the evening.
Thank you for keeping up with us. It's very encouraging.

Frank and I have been laughing about what we watch on TV. If our compatability hinged on what we prefer to watch on TV, we don't know how we ever got married. It's funny, but after he falls asleep again, I reach for the remote, trying not to wake him up. But, when he opens his eyes, I give it back. I'm all upset, because Little Rock doesn't air Gilmore Girls. I've called the cable company and everything. They don't have it. Bummer.

Until tomorrow...... we're going to dream about stem cells..... fragrance free.

In His grace... peg and frank

Monday – Labor Day

I hope that today was NOT a labor for everyone. It certainly was not one for us.

Peggy and I took the hospital staff’s advice and showed up early for this morning’s routine. This paid off, since as we left our room the waiting area was completely full of patients that were not early risers.

My labs came back normal meaning – blood counts are falling (this is supposed to be happening), no obvious complications ie - fever, cough, etc., and I feel remarkably ok.

So for all of you that are praying KEEP DOING IT! God is so good!

The rest of our day was just us hanging out. That’s about it. We miss being home and can’t wait to see everyone soon.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We are so thankful today so for so many things. God has been so merciful to us.
Yesterday was a great day for us to spend together. After we got back from the hospital, Frank took a good long nap. But by the time he woke up, the indians were restless. 3 years ago, we took them to a place where you can drive race cars. We decided to let them go around the track a time or two. That was fun. Chase, after 3 years, still wasn't tall enough to drive his own car.

So after wiping his big blue eyes, he decided it would be fun to ride with Chandler. Zach was sweet enough to give up one of his "big track" turns to ride with Chase on the smaller track.

Frank sat in the shade, and did really well. He was tired, and the hour was long enough for him, but he enjoyed watching them, and paid enough attention to note how aggressive of a driver Chandler was. When she came off the track, she told a funny story about a mom and small child in a car near her. "She kept giving me THE LOOK like I should just let her pass me just for her kid. But I was there to win!"... Behold our future driver.

With Frank being tired, we were going to cook at home and just hang out, but he got a second wind and wanted to eat out. So we got catfish.

The picuture of Frank and the kids is at the restaraunt. He was making fun of me for taking SO many pictures. He was really tired and ready to go, but he put on that face to tease me. But he looks good, doesn't he?

We just watched TV after that while Frank slept amongst us. It was great to be together.
Today, Chandler went with us to the hospital. She wanted some Krispy Kream, so she and I left and came back with 2 dozen donuts. We enjoyed sharing them with staff and family. Chandler was taking good care of her daddy, getting him ice chips and water, but of course, she had to make the most of an oppertunity. You can see by the pictures, that we are determined to keep laughing a priority.

Although, we weren't laughing when a new patient came into our room today with a fever of 102.5, infection of unknown origin (for 3 weeks), and a cough!!

Chandler and I packed Frank up fast, grabbed a nurse and told her we needed a new room!! That shouldn't have happened!! Who put them in our room?? She agreed, and we moved.

We didn't want to hurt their feelings, so we gave them 2 donuts on our way out the door. The raspberry filled one!! I hope she feels better soon.

Frank's platelets are 77.

White and red counts dropping.

No nausea. Still has a decent appetite. So far, he's doing awesome!! Answered prayer!!

The kids went home today. Lisa and Jim passed through on their way home from camping, so they picked them up for us. Miss them already.

Have a wonderful holiday tomorrow. Thank you for praying for us. We feel each and every one. His grace is sufficient.

Psalm 59:16-17 But I will sing of Your power, Yes I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning, For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises, for God is my defense, My God of mercy.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Happy Saturday,

The kids slept in while Frank and I went to the clinic. We weren't there long today. He just got labs and antibiotics. Everything looks good right now. His platelets are coming down just a little

bit, and his hematacrit and hemaglobin are

coming down some too.

We are praising the Lord for answered prayer. Whatever bug he had is gone and he's not running any fever.

Frank says he can feel the affects of the chemo a little more today. He's sleeping more. But no nausea. I'm praying that the divided dose of chemo will help with that.

We shared a room today with another patient preparing for his 3rd transplant. He's just getting started, so I'm sure we'll see them a lot these next few weeks.

We'll go tomorrow for the 2nd round of chemo. Thank you for praying for us. Have a wonderful weekend.

Peggy, Frank and the kids

Good morning,

Yesterday was busy. We got to the hospital thinking we knew exactly where wer were going (because we'd been there twice before). We walked in, the nurse said she'd been waiting on us and put us in a room. Then they asked if we'd been to admissions yet. That was new. But whatever.
So I go out to get directions from the nurses desk.
She says "what's the name."
"Carlton."
"I don't have a Carlton. I have a Chambers. "
"Huh?" "Oh my", she says.
"You're on the Kidney-Liver Transplant Unit."
YIKES! Ooops, wrong place. Bone marrow unit moved down the hall.......

So, we thank God for Frank's healthy kidneys and liver and go check in to the Bone Marrow Unit. Now this routine looks familiar! They prepared him for chemo ~ fluids, iv antibiotics, anti nausea, and stuff.

When the APN came in , she found out he'd been sick Tues night with slight fever on Wed. They talked about holding the chemo, but after consulting with an infectious disease doctor, they decided to proceed. So, the first round of chemo is complete.

We learned something new. The APN told him chew ice as much as possible for the 12 hours the Melphalan (high dose chemo) is in his system. It causes vasoconstriction and helps protect the mucosal lining in his GI tract from being affected by the chemo. It's not a scientific fact, but some patients swear it helps with mouth sores and diarrhea. It's a wives tale. Kinda like when the doctor tells you that teething in your baby doesn't cause their nose to run. We all know it does.

So, when I kissed Frank goodbye, he was chomping ice....and shivering.

It seemed like I got home in 15 minutes. I was there when the kids got home. That felt so great. From 3:30 to 8:30 we picked up Chase, did guitar lesson, cut grass, raked/bagged grass, threw broken weedeater against house (did i say that?), ate dinner, soccer practice, and I missed my school meeting, the main reason I came home in the first place.
Some things don't always go as planned.
But on a better note: I got to hug on our babies, talk about schoool, friends, boys, girls, the weekend; sleep in my own bed, and wake the kids up this morning. The kids and I are looking forward to spending time with Daddy for a few days.

Today Frank just has labs and a few IV drugs. It should be a light day.
Thank you for all your prayers and more.
We feel blessed. Love, Peggy

Hello All....

The word for today is slow. Peggy and I had an appointment to see Dr. Barlogie at 1:00pm. Well we got motivated and showed up at 10am. We were hoping that by showing up early, we would get seen sooner and get out fast. Makes sense right....

As I mentioned we arrived at 10:00, signed in, and sat down in the waiting room. We sat, and sat, and sat, and sat.......we were doing our best imitation of Horten the Elephant. Finally at 3:45pm, the Dr. came in. We didn't leave till 5:30. No one ever said healthcare (cancer care) was fast.

The highlight of our day was eating the free peanut butter cups and crackers that were placed in the patient lounge. That, and later when I told the nurse that I was having trouble seeing when my eyes were closed. It actually took her a couple seconds before she looked up from her computer screen adn smiled. Those were the highlights from today.

Anyone want to come join us for all the fun?
Thursday we report for the 1st round of chemo. There will be three total, then my stem cells will be given back to me.
I am so hungry, I gotta go!

Frank & Peggy & my Mom - signing off......

HERE WE GO.....

Good morning. We are in Little Rock after a busy busy week full of emotions all across the board. We'll share more later, but just wanted to let everyone know we're here.

Frank doesn't even know his test schedule for today, except that his bone marrow is at 9:30. Good to know since he "self medicates" for pain. He's in good spirits, and humor.

It'll be a full day at the hospital, and then we'll move into the apt.
Thank you all for your prayers and support as we got ready to leave.

We're excited in advance to be able to brag on God, best said in Psalm 52:8-9 "I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because you have done it...I will wait on your name, for it is good."

Good evening. Hope you all had a good Monday.
We are tired, but glad to have the party started. We're settled in. We like this apartment better than the other place we stayed. It's newer, brighter and only 3 miles from the clinic. Yippee. Frank mentioned that he was glad to be in a new place. Emotionally, he thinks it'll make a difference to be in some place new.

We got the clinic early. It's amazing how it's like "coming home" when we get here. Every body remembers us and it's good to see a smiling face as we hop from department to department. We have a comfort level and trust with this place. Frank had lab, bone marrow biopsy, MUGA (?) heart test, and EKG. He had a 7pm MRI tonight but went and did that by himself. I stayed here to clean up from dinner and just.....he just walked in!! How fun. He rang the door bell.... has anybody else lived in an aptartment with a door bell. I think it's odd. Who can't hear you knocking at the door?? This place is small.

Anyway, We walked up to get his lab drawn. As we head down the hall, I see this older gentleman with a really dark dark tan. He's reading the paper, and I look closer. It's Roy Schneider, Dr. Brody from Jaws. We knew he was here from our last visit. I saw him briefly in the lobby. I wasn't sure his diagnosis was "out" and I felt bad mentioning it. So... I did what anybody would do... I Googled it. It's out, cause I read articles about it. So, now with a clear conscience, I can say I sat down next to him and.....never said a word!!! Frank was so proud of me. Mr. Roy (Dr. Brody) looked like he didn't feel good. Frank was proud of me for not asking for his autograph or anything. What I really wanted was his paper so I could read about the plane crash in KY. (I did snap a shot with my camera phone though)

Frank has PET scan tomorrow and I think we're done until Wednesday. It's days like tomorrow that get long. You have a lot of down time and start thinking about all you could be doing if you were home. Frank calls the office a lot.

We saw a patient that we met on her first visit to Little Rock. She was waiting with us in the room to have her very first bone marrow biopsy. Frank shared his medicine with her to ease her pain, and we were able to encourage her about the road ahead. She's already done her 2 transplants and is in remission. She was so glad to run into us. I love it when we connect and reconnect with people!

Some have asked if we can get mail here.
Our local phone number is 501-603-9541
Address: 1504 Parham Pointe #11B, Little Rock, AR 72204

Frank is sore from the bone marrow biopsy. The lady today had trouble getting a good sample. I don't know if it was her skill level or just bad luck today, but he's more uncomfortable that usual.

Feeling good, feeling blessed, feeling covered in prayer..... thank you
Until later... Frank and Peggy

Hi everybody!
Frank is getting stronger every day. He's still getting his weekly blood work. He's trying to use the treadmill and keep as active as possible. We've actually cleaned out our attic for a garage sale. That'll whip anybody into shape real fast!

This picture is of the first day of school for Chandler and Zach. They had a great day. Things got back to normal real quick with Frank doing his notorious yell from the bottom of the stairs... "Lettt'sss Gooooooooo". The kids just love that. And when that doesn't work, he honks in the driveway...they love that too. Things like this are definately memory makers. They mock him often and we get a laugh out of it.

Zach's team won their tournament. They scored 7-0,4-0,6-0 and won the final game 1-0. It was a great weekend.

I know it's getting close to time to go. Please pray for us. For Frank. For me and the kids and our families. Every day is getting harder when I think about it all. I know it's hard for Frank to leave work too. We try to talk about it, and for the most part do pretty good. It's difficult to put so many emotions into words. I don't even know where to begin.

Psalm 54:16,17 As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening, morning and noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

Psalm 54:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Greetings loved ones!!

We haven't updated in a few days. We are up to our ears in school supplies! Chandler is fun to shop with for school supplies. She loves the thrill of everything new, clean and fresh. We laugh about it together because I was the same way. Starting over ~ no matter what is ~ can always be refreshing in it's own way.

I'm so thankful that God's mercies are new every morning. I sure need them! I was reading the other day that when mercy and peace are mentioned together in the Bible, they occur in that order (with one execption: Gal 6:16). Mercy is the act of God, and peace is the resulting experience in the heart of man. Very cool.

We have praises!! Our insurance company approved the transplant. Thank you praying with us for this! We are good to return on Aug 27th, and start tests on that Monday.
Frank will have to do another heart function tests when he returns. He didn't do as well as he did 3 1/2 years ago on the ECHO, so they are going to do another test that is a little more accurate. They told us NOT TO WORRY. So we aren't. They kind of blamed it on the people reading the tests. And they said even with his score, he still can have the transplant.

So, we are praying that what they said is the case, and nothing else. Let's pray the new tests they run will show his heart strong and capable. I wonder if Frank's sweet spirit, and tender heart shows up on their x-ray machines!! He'd score off the chart on that test.

We are traveling ~ all 5 of us ~ to Huntsville, AL for Zach's soccer tournament. We've never done that before. Usually one parent stays home, and one goes. We thought this would be fun to do together since we're leaving soon. Go LOBOS!!

In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:18

JUST FOR FUN! ISN'T HE CUTE?

Happy Friday! Hope you have big plans for the weekend. For some of us it's the last of our summer vacation with the kids. That's GREAT news for some, and SAD for others. If we were all honest, it's probably a little of both. I am more sad than glad. I could stand a few more weeks together.

Prayer requests:
We are still awaiting word from the insurance company for approval of the transplant.
We are praying that Frank's platelets will be over 100 before he starts chemo.
That our household would stay healthy, and for protection of Frank's body.
And that God would cover each one of us with His grace and comfort as we prepare to be apart for 5 weeks. And for strength, endurance and blessings on those who stand in the gap with us.

We get questions from time to time from you guys ~for those who are interested... Frank is treated at UAMS in Little Rock. The website is interesting. The Myeloma Institute has interesting information about his doctor, Bart Barlogie

Hi. Isn't his hair the funnist? He had an idea to bleach it white but changed his mind. It's all bald now so the HOPE letters are faint but they are still there. Thank the Lord that was the word we chose. We had some silly ideas about what to do thinking it wouldn't matter. We dodged a bullet on that one.

We have a few prayer requests. Our insurance company needs Frank to have a few more tests before they will approve the transplant. So, he's going to go back to Little Rock for the day (so much for a nice month off) and have a PET scan and a heart/lung test of some kind. He'll come back the same day. We are praying for favor in the eyes of the insurance company, but above that, for God's will to be done.

Secondly, Chandler was sick all day with 103 fever. We've kept her and her dad far apart, but viruses can be ugly. Please pray that Frank doesn't get sick ~ or any one else so we can stop this and get it out of the house.

We love reading the guest book. It gives us "warm fuzzies". And we thank you for your prayers. But, this family of faith isn't all for us to have and not give. If you guys need prayer, please email us and share with us how we can pray for you too!! We want to be faithful to you, as you are being to us. Prayer works. Frank is living testimony!!
Have a great day! In His grace..... Peg

Okay, this is what he looks like now. That other picture was pretty radical. We had a doctor appointment today, and of course, he was a hit with his inspirational message! Nurses were calling out things like "Never give up Hope!" and "Keep Hope alive!" and as we were leaving, we told them "bye, see you later"..... (you know this is coming don't you?) they answered "we Hope so.......ha ha ha" The Wings volunteer even came out and took his picture. You know how shy Frank is....... he smiled for the camera even though it was of the back of his head!

Oh, we did go to the doctor today. With all the fun we had, we walked out without his lab work, but I do remember his platelets being 52. Not bad, but let's pray they mulitply a lot in the next few weeks.

Chandler's getting over her virus, thank goodness. She gave it my sister over the phone. Hope you feel better Lisa ~ and welcome home.
Keep laughing..... it so healing.
He leaves for Little Rock in the morning to have that little test done.

I hope it won't be long before we hear something from insurance.
Have a great day...... Peg

Well we had a surprize this weekend.

All the chemo finally caught up to me and my hair began to fall out. Since it was a goner anyway we all decided to have some fun and use my head as an Etch-A-Sketch.

One thing we overlooked was the fact that plucking the hair follicles left the scalp totally bald. Once I shaved the rest of the hair off the HOPE was still visable. I now have HOPE written on me until my hair starts growing again...who woulda thunk it huh!

Saturday was a re-union of sorts. Chandler returned from the youth ministries Urban Plunge and Chase returned from his Texas vacation junket with our neighbors. They both had a wonderful time but it sure was great to have the whole family back in the house.

We have gotten back into "normal" mode for now and it sure is great.
Thank you again to everyone that has been praying for us.

Your prayers and the assistance that everyone has given to our family have been tremendous. We love you !
E-speak soon, .......Frank