Pedal the Cause and Dad Update!!

Just to let everyone know, I survived Pedal the Cause! Mom, Dad, and Mikayla were able to come out and cheer me on as well. I had a ton of fun and even though I was riding for fun and not time, I was able to finish in roughly 1 hour and 53 minutes. Thank you to everyone that made a donation, as of now I have raised $545 for cancer research!!!

If anyone is still wishing to donate, you can do so until October 31st! Here is the link: http://stlouis.pedalthecause.org/riders_profile.jsp?MemberID=79161

Right now, we are looking at getting Dad a power chair. He's still walking however his current wheelchair is a push chair and it's getting a little rough looking. This chair will be more comfortable for Dad when he needs to be in it for longer periods of time (mainly doctors appointments and errands) and will allow him to move himself instead of having to have someone push him. It's a slow process though and will probably be a month or two before he is able to get it. Mom and Dad are looking at getting a new vehicle to transport the wheelchair, which also adds to the timeline.

Dad also got a port put in last week. We're hoping this will make blood draws and treatment more comfortable for him as it was getting harder and harder for the nurses to find his veins. His next treatment is this Wednesday and they'll access the port for the first time!

This past weekend we also celebrated Dad beating the challenge his very first doctor gave him. Before we started going to Siteman, the doctor told Dad he had 14 months to live and that he should go home and put his feet up. Dad has clearly beaten this challenge and the whole family celebrated at Joe's Crab Shack!!!! Dad ate an entire Maine Lobster and crab legs! We had no idea how to clean a lobster and I ended up reading step by step instructions to Mikayla while she cleaned it. It was so awesome to see Dad enjoy a meal as much as he did!!

Mid September Update

Dad has been back at home for just over a week now. He's very glad to be home (obviously!) and seems to still be making progress in getting back to where he was prior to all the seizures. Since he's been home, he's gotten a lot better about knowing what time it is and whether it's day or night however he's usually awake and ready for breakfast around 3am.

He's really not supposed to leave the house unless it's for doctors appointments until he gets a little stronger. There is a home health nurse that comes each day to help out and then physical and occupational therapy also comes to the house.

In the near future, we're going to end up getting a power chair for Dad to use. While he doesn't need a wheelchair 100% of the time, it will make it a lot easier for him to get around. Mom and Dad are also going to look into getting a van which will make transporting the power chair much easier as well.

Dad is going to have a port put in next week, which will allow for easier blood draws and eliminate him getting stuck with a needle all the time. It's gotten harder and harder for the nurses to find arteries when they need them and causes Dad's arm to get pretty bruised from time to time.

Pedal the Cause is next weekend and I'm super excited! I've raised $500 so far however there's still plenty of time to donate!!! Thanks to everyone that's donated so far, I couldn't have raised so much without your support!! Don't forget,100% of your donation goes to cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital!!

Here is the link for anyone still wishing to donate: http://stlouis.pedalthecause.org/riders_profile.jsp?MemberID=79161