HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHASE

Happy Birthday to Chase! He is 12 years old today. That is a reason to celebrate.

For Peggy and I, being away from him today is a disappointment, but we are so proud of him and look forward to seeing him and the family soon.

Yes today we are thankful. Thankful that dispite the disappointments we have faced concerning this disease, I have had many successful strides in my treatments. Chase was 6 years old when we first started this fight.

Although the effect this has on all 3 of the children weighs heavy on our hearts... many a tear has been shead, many more prayers as well...... Chase's age stands out as a milemarker for us.

One of my deepest fears has been that I would pass at such a young age that Chase would not remember "his dad". When he was 6, memories of me would have been scant.

God has given me one of the most precious gifts of all...time. Time to build memories, time to share hugs, time to celebrate....life! Frank

We are off to get blood drawn now, his levels went up yesterday.... shocker. We were stratching our head yesterday wondering what that was all about. But Dina, our APN said that can happen. Sometimes you see a slight rise after stem cells are in. That's never happened before... just when we think we know this routine like pros.... we learn something new.

We are hoping the MRI results are in today. We found out more information about why they are doing this. This, too, is a new thing. It's because his myeloma in now a non-secreting type. This means it doesn't shed the protein that is detectable by blood or marrow anymore. It's invisible in a loose sense. So, they have to look for it in other ways. This MRI is to see if the chemo was successful in shrinking the lesions that they found.

Please join us in prayer for:

* great MRI results

*for Frank to remain free from infection

*for safe travel as we get the kids tomorrow ~ we are suppose to get 1-3 inches Fri. We are READY to see them. If I have to bob sled to Memphis, I'll do it! ~ and for Frances as she comes to see us today.

* that God would give the kids a peace as we are away, and that they would surrender to let Him meet all their needs.

*keep my mom strong and energized as she cares for them

We are blessed to have the body of Christ care for all our needs so tenderly. Thank you for all you are doing.

They sang to Chase last night at Wed night dinner. Here's the picture off my sister's phone that we got just minutes after it happened. It was so sweet to see it. Love, Frank and Peg

Transplant Day

We woke up to snow this morning! It was so pretty. Our unit is in the back, so we opened up the blinds, watched the news from bed and watched it snow into the woods behind us. Refreshing.

We are overwhelmed with emotion today, no particular one ~ a potpourri really. Frank is thoughtful and reserve this morning, and sweet as can be.

His counts are coming down faster than we had expected. He'll be neutropenic tomorrow. That means he'll have to wear a mask, no going out in public, no fresh fruit or salad, etc.

White count: 2.30

Platlets 82

Potassium 3.3 (he went home with infusor)

His stem cells ran a little late, but they are in! The whole process takes about 5 minutes. 6.01 million in 54ml. That's a packed house! Standing room only.

We actually took a vidoe of it. But it was too big to upload. I tried! Dina is our APN. We adore her. We've known her for 5 years. She is precious and we are happy she is with us. She did Frank's 3rd tranplant as well.

We are thankful that the Lord has brought us to this point without complication. We are thankful for you and your faithfulness to pray for us. Love from frank and peg

Good morning,

Frank has to be at the hospital by 1:00. We have a prayer request. His port-a-cath won't let them get a return. Fluids are going in, but they can't draw back and get any. The chemo is hooked up to it now, and is infusing. But if they can't get a return on it today, they'll put TPA in it to try and unclog it. We are praying that the port will continue to work properly so he doesn't have to have a triple lumen catheter inserted.

He gets disconnected from the bag today. He feels good but he's pretty much sleeping all the time now. It's raining here and yucky, but I'm going to try to get him to walk on the treadmill since we've walked every day so far.




TV, the computer and i pod is all we have to pass the time, so if you're checking the website, click on "comments" and write Frank a note. We always enjoy hearing from you and it gives us something to do!! :)

Thank you for your prayers. Love, Peg

8:30pm Well, the port didn't preform like we'd hoped. They put in the TBA. Which is no big deal really. We want it to work though... we'll know in the morning.

Tomorrow is the day... he'll get his stem cells around lunch time!! They'll only take a few minutes to infuse. Then they'll swim to the bone marrow, work really hard to graft and then migrate back into the blood stream as red and white cells and platelets.

They said his counts should bottom out between Thursday and Sunday, and then we should see them come back up.

It may snow here tonight and in the morning, but Frank says it won't stick. The ground is too warm. It would be nice though....

Excerpted from Streams in the Desert – “March 1, ‘Consider what God has done; Who can straighten what he has made crooked?’ (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

God often seems to place His children in places of deep difficulty, leading them into a corner from which there is no escape. He creates situations that human judgment, even if consulted, would never allow. Yet the cloudiness of the circumstance itself is used by Him to guide us to the other side. Perhaps this is where you find yourself even now.

Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will more than justify Him who brought you here, for it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power.

He will not only deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson that you will never forget. And in days to come, you will often return to the truth of His mercy, yet you will be unable to ever thank God enough for doing what He has done.”


How appropriate a message for anyone that finds themselves in a desperate position.

Once again I choose to cling to Him and see where this journey leads….

"I Peter II 5:6,7 Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast your worries on Him because he cares for you."

Our God is faithful; He has proven this over and over to me.

Frank

It is so pretty here today। Beautiful!! Frank and I got out and walked 1.5 miles today. He's
going to try and walk as much as he can. It helps keep you strong and muscles from losing tone.

We've had little things happen in the apt। Most of them we've tried to ignore, but the "list" is now long enough that finally went to the office. They were sweet about it. The biggest frustration is that we haven't had internet. (Well.... it's been hit or miss. We've been stealing broad band off someone near that is wireless and unsecured, but I think they got wise to us this morning.) The DSL wasn't suppose to get hooked up until yesterday, but then the modom was broken, and they said it would be another week! After talking to them today, a new modom should be waiting for us when we get home (we're at the hospital now), and new mattresses on Monday, (frank and i would roll and meet each other in the middle) and a new TV, and we already got a new set of dishes (we only had 2 dinner plates when we got here). Hopefully things will be better by the weekend.

Okay, just needed to vent! All that only leaves me with one thought: "There's not place like home!" But with all seriousness। We are thankful to be here. This is the best place we could be for Frank.

Frank and I are here at the hospital as I type। His port-a-cath is not working right. The chemo is going in okay, but the nurse can't get her blood sample. They may have to put TPA in it ~ it's like heparin but alot stronger.

Frank is feeling really good। Some fatigue, and a few other minor side effects from the Dex, but other than that, all is well. He's getting the "red man" syndrome. The Adriamycin is red and makes him look like he's been out by the pool all day. Funny thing is it actually makes him look healthy I think, rather than pale.

Chandler is on her way to Biloxi with my sister Lisa and Alexis। Lisa had an extra ticket to see Carrie Underwood concert. Not only are they on the 2nd row, they have back stage passes to meet her. I hope I have a picture to post. I am so excited for them. Frank may be turning red, but I'm as green as can be!!

I am trying to move us to a new website that is easier for me to manage. I don't know how to use HTML, which keeps me from doing things I want to.
I had to copy and paste EVERY entry from 2003 into the new blog site. Very tedious process and I've put all my spare time into it since last Sunday, but it's done now. I am trying to get help from Frank's tech guy to redirect the site so we can still have carltongang.com.

The reflection was so good for me। I have relived 5 years in a week. It's a roller coaster of a ride ~ more on paper than we feel in real life. But it was such a testimony of God's watchcare and His provision over us over all these years. We are truly grateful for all He has done, and for knowing we don't walk this alone. Thank you.

S0, it all goes right, the website will look different in a few day। If it doesn't work, we'll have a new name. You can use it now: carltongang.blogspot.com

Here's the important thing: Make comments at the end of the blog. Don't use the "guestbook". That will help out a lot in transferring info.
Love to you... Peg and Frank
Be strong and bold. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deut. 31:6

It's official, we got the party started today.

We went to the clinic today and the minute we hit the door we saw the spouse of a patient that was here during our last tranplant. I didn't get to speak with her, but she can only be here for one reason. I am so sorry for them and look forward to talking to her.

Our APN is Sara. She used to be Dr. Barlogie's nurse before she moved over to the bone marrow unit. She has always been so sweet to us. There's a special bond between Sara and our family, and she is so great about taking time to teach us things by going over anything we don't understand. We love her. She'll be our nurse for a few days, but then she's on an inpatient rotation. It was really good to see her today.

One of the hurtles that we had to "jump" was that they wanted Frank to be scheduled for surgery to install a triple lumen line instead of using his port. He put his foot down on this issue and just said no. Frank gave them the, "You've used his port for the other 3 transplants and it has never been an issue before. Besides this port has never given me any trouble, etc. " speach and they gave in.

So, fast forward to today and they take him back to get his vitals. Insert needle, push saline, drawn back on the port and what do you know... his port won't budge! (funny huh Ginger?) Frank laughed as he breathed deep, rasied his hands and turned his cheek, even sat upside down for them. Finally they got it unclogged, so to speak. And I think he'll be fine.
Frank took some fluids, Melphlan, Velcade, and then got his chemo bags on; now he's good to go.

Sara took this picture for us in the waiting room. Look behind us at the picture board. There are pictures of Frank's 2nd and 3rd transplant still pinned up there.

Love to you from Arkansas.... we are peaceful, thankful and grateful.

Peg

Hello All,....

Today Peggy and I got a good bit accomplished, but we experianced even more frustration with this process. After being told (last night) that I was approved by Humana to proceed, we were asked to show up at the clinic today to get started.

However once we sat down with the coordinator we were informed that the stem cell transplant schedule was booked up. To make a long story short - I have to wait till Thursday to start taking chemo. Disappointed yes, but at least we got the schedule set and there are no questions left to ask.

So tomorrow we're putting the cancer cells on notice and we get this show on the road.
I have said it before but it is worth repeating ...thank you's go out to everyone for all the support and prayers. Just getting here has been quite an ordeal but because of all of you, we are as ready as we can be.

Frank

Good morning.... Not being a morning person, this will be quick.

It's 5:15 am.. (yawn). We are about to leave for Little Rock. Frank went down yesterday for his ECHO and MUGA scan and then came home.

We had a sweet night with the kids and friends. Frank and I went to Zach's soccer game. Zach gave us a good going away happy by scoring 2 goals! We won 2-0, so that was pretty cool.

He has a pulmonary scan at 9 and we see Dr. Barlogie at 12. I'm tired of guessing what happens next. It's been such a long wait.

We still need insurance approval. The results of these 3 scans have to be submitted. Let's pray this happens quickly.

We are going to check in to the apt, drop off some stuff and plan on coming home tonight. Then we'll pack the rest... and get the party started.

Todays K-Love verse is Ps 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.
Oh, so true!!
Peg

Amazing..... It's been a long time, but we are finally getting somewhere. The hold up was actually with UAMS. But we still don't have approval.

We leave in the morning for Little Rock. Frank needs at least 3 more tests: ECHO, MUGA and pulmonary function. I don't know if there are more or not.

And things got set up at 5:00 on Friday so we don't really know when the test are. Because of that, we are thinking we may drive back tomorrow if we can and stay one more day. If it doesn't work out, we'll just stay. We get the apt on Wednesday.

For you Memphis folks, Chandler wrote an editorial to the paper and it got printed in today's paper. Check it out.... We found out about it from Frances.. one of her friends called her. Small world, huh?

Well let you know when we know!

In His grace, Peggy

Everyone is asking if we have any plans yet. The answer is "No, not yet. We are still waiting on insurance to approve the transplant."

UAMS emailed us and told us Humana was requesting a Hep B, C and AIDS test. Ummmm, Okay? Get right on that!

Frank emailed our doctor here and told them he's always been curious as to whether he had aids or not. Now he'll know for sure!

Here a little funny about insurance while we're on the subject..... love to all.

Medical Insurance Explained:
Q. What does HMO stand for ?
A. This is actually a variation of the phrase, "HEY MOE." Its roots go back to a concept pioneered by Moe of the Three Stooges, who discovered that a patient could be made to forget the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in the eye.

Q. I just joined an HMO. How difficult will it be to choose the doctor I want?
A. Just slightly more difficult than choosing your parents. Your insurer will provide you with a book listing all the doctors in the plan. The doctors basically fall into two categories: those who are no longer accepting new patients, and those who will see you but are no longer participating in the plan. But don't worry, the remaining doctor who is still in the plan and accepting new patients has an office just a half-day's drive away and a diploma from a third-world country.

Q. Do all diagnostic procedures require pre-certification?
A. No. Only those you need.

Q. Can I get coverage for my pre-existing conditions?
A. Certainly, as long as they don't require any treatment.

Q. What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine?
A. You'll need to find alternative forms of payment.

Q. My pharmacy plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name brand. I tried the generic medication, but it gave me a stomach ache. What should I do?
A. Poke yourself in the eye.

Q. What if I'm away from home and I get sick?
A. You really shouldn't do that.

Q. I think I need to see a specialist, but my doctor insists he can handle my problem. Can a general practitioner really perform a heart transplant right in his/her office ?
A. Hard to say, but considering that all you're risking is the $20 co-payment, there's no harm in giving it a shot .

Q. Will health care be different in the next decade?
A. No, but if you call right now, you might get an appointment by then.

Chandler with Frank at her Valentines dance.

Well, What a week this has been. But after 3 trips to Little Rock, we have a plan.

The fine needle aspiration showed 20% myeloma plasma cells in the lesion. It is a confirmed relapse as Frank said earlier.

Dr. Barlogie wants to do another transplant. But not like one he's had in the past. The other transplants are Melphalan (chemo), then stem cells to follow. This time he wants to use a combination of chemo that he's had before: VTD-PACE (all of the letters stand for a different chemo med) PLUS Melphalan, and then stem cells to follow. Sounds tough doesn't it?

Well, the good news is the he's using a reduced dose of 2 of those drugs. So, we're going to call this a Mini-Tranplant. Sort of like the 100 calorie snacks! Just enough to do the job, but not so much we wish we'd never had it!!

Dr. Barlogie is so so busy. He usually has someone on his heels that trying to learn from him or help all around him, etc. But he came in alone and no one bothered us. We had a good long time to talk about all our concerns.

We'd been told in the past that statistics show each remission shortens. Dr. Barlogie told us that was nonsense!! He said he has a patient that has had multiple relapses and she's been in remission for 5 years now since then. Frank asked him if we were running out of options ~ and his reply was "no no no no no."
So, for the first time all week, we came home a little lighter on our feet and more encouraged than we had been so far.

As soon as we hear from insurance, we'll get our schedule to return. Frank has some work things he wants to get done before we leave.

Please pray for insurance to cover this transplant. For the kids as they deal with this, for all details to fall into place as we plan to be gone 3-4 weeks.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask of think, according to the power that works within us; to Him be the glory in the church adn in Christ Jesus to all genereations forever and ever. Amen" Eph 3:20-21

Hello Everyone:

Today was definitely one of those days that I would like to have a re-do on.

In many ways Monday February 4th was just not a good day for the Carlton family.

Peggy and I went back to Little Rock this morning with the hopes that Dr Barlogie would pat us on the back and tell us that the “spot” that appeared to be non-cancerous back in November/December was just that, non-cancerous. And, we had hoped that the last round of chemotherapy had done a number on the cells and the site had gotten better.

Regrettably, Dr. Barlogie had to tell us the exact opposite…my cancer has returned. In addition the original site has grown and there is also second lesion now.

We will be traveling back to Little Rock on Tuesday for a fine-needle aspirate of the lesion (for all you in Alabama this means they are going to stick me with a long, thick needle and suck stuff out of my bone marrow & it hurts) and then return on Thursday to get his recommendation for treatment options.

It’s about 9:45pm as I type this note and my brain is just now getting wrapped around what I am about to have to go through - the treatments, the time away from family and friends, missing church, missing work (hey I like my job), and the host of other “normal” activities that feeling cruddy and being severely immune-O-compromised takes one away from. If I didn’t already know that we can beat this thing, it would make me depressed.

However, my experiences tell me that this can, and will be something that can be overcome. God has allowed me to enjoy His good graces before and I must trust that He will do so again.

It will probably come as a bit odd, bit I thanked God tonight as we all sat down for dinner. Ephesians 5:20 tells us that ‘in all things we should be thankful’….so I thanked God for this terrible day. I thanked Him for the blessings that I have already received from all of you (yes, you know who you are) and for the fact that this gives Him another opportunity to show us all how great a God we serve.

We will share more as we know it, but for now I gotta go get some sleep. Tuesday is going to be another long day.

Frank

Hi everybody,

We have a return date. We go back to Little Rock for testing on Thursday, Jan 31 and see Dr. B on Monday, Feb 4th.

Frank is in the middle of the VTD cycle. He takes 3 of 4 in the morning. He's doing great.

I'm mad at him right now.... He decided he's not happy with his extra holiday weight. So, he's been walking on the treadmill 3 times a day. He announced last night that he'd lost 3 pounds already. I could do the same thing and I would've gained!

So not fair..... and I'm dealing with my anger..... women: can I get a hand raised??

We'll keep you updated when we know something. Love, Peggy

Well..... we FINALLY have an answer from Little Rock....... and I won't keep you waiting any longer. It was great news! Praise the Lord for His constant mercy our family.

Now that you've exhaled ~ I'll fill you in on the details. As many of you know, we've been waiting on test results that have been conflicting. They probed some more, and then those results were conflicting. The final word from Dr. Barlogie's PA was that the new lesion seems to be pre-cancerous. The fact that is was there cannot be ignored, but it was caught early. All the digging around in the new lesion didn't result in anything abnormal (although still waiting on the gene array).

So, she said Dr. Barlogie wants him to continue the next cycle of VTD (Velcade, Thalidimide, Decadron) and come back when that's done.

They'll do a limited scan of tests to "just make sure" and maybe mix up the way he's getting the chemo or change drugs.

I'm not a doctor (although I like to watch them on TV ), but I don't think he'll get off chemo in March like they had told him he would in November. I expect they keep on something for the next 6 months at least.

We were in Little Rock the week after Thanksgiving. This is the longest we've ever had to wait on news. We've often said that it's easier to be "in the ring with your gloves on" than in the waiting room. We still agree with that!!

I'm reading a new book by Carol Kent called A New Kind of Normal. It's been good so far. I like it because it's relevant to the subject of redefining "normal" in your life without the topic being about cancer. I find myself reading her thoughts and thinking ~ "oh my gosh, I could have said that, that how I feel". As we were still waiting on news last week, I underlined these words that I could so easily identify with ....

"Some days I feel anxious, wishing God would hurry and let me see the whole picture for my life (our life), but I realize that patience and waiting and trusting Him are the characteristics that God is still working on in my life. My husband and I are practicing walking in faith, secure in knowing that God's plans are bigger, wider, and higher than we could ever imagine. He holds us in the palm of His hand, shelters us from the storms, calms our souls and brings peace to our hearts. We are living a new kind of normal, but we have found that "Jesus is enough" is not just a cliche' for us. His character, rather than our own hopes and dreams, is the bedrock of our lives."

Please pray with us that the next round of VTD will be uneventful, and that Frank'll be protected from all the crud going around town.

Thank you for keeping Frank and all of us lifted up before our heavenly Father.

Love to each of you........ Peggy

I figured that I would make an entry since its January 3rd and it is possible that a few folks are wondering what I know about the biopsies and the plan for my treatment.

Well we still don’t have any firm answers from the UAMS team that calls the shots on ol Frankie.
They have told me they would like me to return in about a month, once my current cycle of chemo is complete. (I started today)

If you took the time to log in I can’t let you leave without some reward, so I am posting these quotes.

I will keep everyone updated......enjoy!

• A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
• A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.
• All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.
• Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
• Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
• Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
• I can live for two months on a good compliment.
• I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know.
• It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not to deserve them.
• It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
• Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
• Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation.
• Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.
• Grief can take care if itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.”
  
  Mark Twain

Dear Family and Friends:

Many of you have already heard, but since many have not, I am obliged to type words I have learned to really, really dislike. After noticing an abnormality in some previous test results, Peggy and I were called back to Little Rock for some specific biopsies and tests.

Unfortunately they found some new activtiy n my right hip, which means I am no longer in remissioin. The ambiguity of the situation is that until the samples have been analyzed, we don't know yet that these cells are Myeloma. But I (we) am not going to kid myself, why else would a lesion show up on a PET and MRI unless the battle has begun again?

With respect to Multiple Myeloma, we do know something abnormal is going on. The severity of the situation and the treatment options will be decided after the first of the year.

Plese keep us in your prayers and specifically pray that whatever abnormalities are there, they will be easity contained and destroyed by whatever they prescribe for me.

Now, for all of you that come to this page, I must also tell you that despite the circumstances, the Carlton family ~ Peg's family and mine, plan on celebrating Christmas and experiencing JOY this year.

In the last few sermons at our church, we've been given a "roadmap" for peace and joy this season. We plan on following God's plan which includes choosing to trust in God's providence (James 1:2-3, and Hebrews 10:34) and drawing on Christ's power. (Phil 4:13)

So, as my brothers is Christ sang out in concert the other night, "Hallelujah, to the Lord of heaven and earth!"

God is with us, and no matter what the circumstances, He will meet our needs.
Always has - always will.
Frank

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