Life!

We have managed to pack quite a bit into the past few weeks.

Dwayne's MRI came back clear incase you missed that post! He saw the neurologist and he did the paperwork for Dwayne to be retested by the DMV. That will happen mid-April.  He will have his eighth round of chemo this week.

Jared has now had four visits to UCLA. Last week when they took pictures, they couldn't even find some of the skin cancers that they photographed a month ago. Huge praise, the meds are working!

Happy 25th Birthday, Jared!

A special thank you to Judy Allen for all her care for Jared through the years!
I still remember the conversation we had when he was 5, and was he ready to start school. Amazing
to think he will graduate from college in May!
Thanks for your long friendship. You have been a blessing to our family. 

Since Jared is coming home every two weeks, he ended up being here for his birthday! We had a nice dinner and evening with friends.

Results!

MRI results came back today. ALL CLEAR!

Update

It does not seem like it has been a month since I last updated this, but I guess it has. Too much going on!

Jared has made two trips from school to UCLA and he seems to be tolerating the medicine reasonably well. We are learning our way around LAX and a new area of UCLA.

Dwayne finished up his 7th round of chemo on Friday. A bit achey, but not as much as last round, no fevers this time. He was released from physical therapy the end of January. Speech will be ending on the 27th of this month. His aphasia is better for the most part-still a goofy word here and there, but a huge improvement from six months ago.

Two big appointments are coming up - the first is  tomorrow the 20th, he will have another MRI. The second is March 2nd. Dwayne has a neurologist appointment. The doctor will look over all his scans for the past year and determine if he is ready to drive again.

So, our two requests would be no changes in the MRI since November, and for wisdom for the neurologist.

A Crazy Week!

The good news-yesterday we were able to finish all of Jared's pretrial testing done in two visits at UCLA. He went back to school today. The not so good news-because the biopsy results were not completed, he could not begin the medicine. So, that means that we have to get him back from school in the next two weeks or all the pretrial testing is invalid. After he begins the new medicine, he has to return to UCLA every two weeks, for the first 12 weeks of the trial. He is the only candidate in the UCLA study, others around the country, but since Basal Cell Nevis syndrome is so rare, about 900-1,000 cases nationwide, the studies don't come up very often.  We are not sure whether to try and do this, or wait until summer. But after graduation, Jared wants to get a job in the Monterey area. So, not sure if that would be any better. We need prayer on this one.

This round of chemo has hit Dwayne hard. Along with the fatigue and nausea,  he is experiencing fevers in the morning, headaches and body aches. Yesterday was the last dose of this round, Yea!!! He will have an MRI in a couple of weeks. We don't have a date yet.

Normal is just a setting on the dryer!

Well, the year has gotten of to a quick start. Life is just not slowing down.

Dwayne began his 6th round of chemo yesterday and will continue it for this week. He's tried. but doing well otherwise. The first week of February he will have his next MRI. Praying that this will remain the same as the one in November-no cancer!! He was released from physical therapy last week. Possibly speech the end of the month.

I had thought we were in our new "normal" of a routine. I don't think the Roberts do "normal". Jared's dermatologist at UCLA thought he might qualify for a drug trial for the basal cell nevis syndrome he has. Yes, another very rare condition-less than 1,000 documented cases. So, we have had two trips up there for pre-trial testing. Hopefully, only one more this week, maybe two. They are trying to get everything fit in before he goes back to school on Saturday, for his last semester! We thought we knew where we were going the first visit. Found out there are two different departments of oncology at UCLA-the neuro-oncologists in one building that Dwayne sees, and an entirely different building where a whole floor of offices are devoted to cancers that are not in the brain. Sometimes I am a bit overwhelmed at that place, but grateful we have such good people caring for them.

We have decided that Roberts in the original Saxon must have meant "unusual medical conditions"
Thank you again for your prayers and support. There is still more to this journey.

Happy New Year!

December was wonderful celebration of our savior and spending time with family and friends.

Jared is home for the month and then will go back for his final semester in Monterey. Hopefully, a job will follow soon. We stretched out Christmas celebration though out the week. Finishing yesterday with family coming from Burbank and San Diego. Great day, lots of fun and laughs. Overall I think something that we have learned over the past year is to take time to enjoy the small moments. Some of our best times this year have been taking walks along the beach, watching the rabbits eat our backyard-they are cute, but boy can they make a mess of a yard, enjoying a cup of tea with a fire in the fireplace. One thing we have enjoy more than ever is the chats, meals and time with friends and family.

Nathan and Jared got
Legos for Christmas

This brought back some memories!

Cindy and Rebekah

Tim and Rachel

Diana and Paul
Missed you,  Joel and Bethany

The cookie decorating was
very entertaining

My three guys!

The view from the hills behind our house

Dwayne and Jared 

This past Friday Dwayne and Jared took a walk in the hills behind our house. This was a major accomplishment for Dwayne, he said it felt so good to put on his hiking boots! Six months ago he was not walking around the house without a cane. We are grateful for the progress. He finished his 5th round of chemo last week and continues to do speech and physical therapy twice a week at Mission.

A very happy new year from the Roberts

Lots to be thankful for!

 Where did November go? We had company the last two weeks of the month and it was wonderful to have such good visits.

Our niece Katie, her husband Carl and their youngest son Athan were here for a few days. Katie grew up here and wanted to come back to the area for her 30th birthday.

Kerri, Tim and I

My sister Kerri was here for a three days. Our brother came down from Burbank for the one of the days. It isn't often that we all are in the same place at the same time.

Jared was home for the week at Thanksgiving. Was good to see him. He went back to school and will be home again the second week of December. Then his final semester!

Thanksgiving was celebrated with my brother and his family. Dwayne carved the turkey!

Nathan brought a furry guest. His new cat 'Mister'. He finally came out from behind the couch and decided that we were ok.


Friday brought an unexpected, but very welcomed visit from Susan and Paul Munsey. Susan and I have been friends since we were 14. ( I won't tell you how long ago that was!) We even got in some beach time! It was a beautiful day.

Susan and I

Dwayne and I

Dwayne also had a round of chemo during this week. This time went very well. The chemo will continue for awhile longer. The doctor has not given an end date yet.

Nathan or Tim had everyone laughing

Even on chemo, he enjoyed his traditional sour cream chocolate cake! 

Sunday the 27th. we had a few friends over to celebrate Dwayne's birthday. Was a great way to end November! We have been so blessed by family and friends this year.