End of the Month Round-Up

Hello all! Are you ready for a long post? I know, we haven't posted in a while. This one comes to you courtesy of Nichole.
It's been interesting, because dad "celebrated" the benchmark of 3 months past diagnosis. It's kind of a midway mark, given the statistics of the disease, and there are a lot of dynamics at work. We still have many unanswered questions, such as "How long will dad continue to feel okay? At what point will he go 'downhill'? What does 'downhill' mean or look like?" We don't have the answers - in fact, no one does, so we're playing it by ear. With that being said, we've had a fantastic Loser Family counsel and re-grouped. It was a good event, and we've reset (and re-acknowledged) some priorities and planned some more great family activities. We hope to post on the blog twice a week from now on. Dad also still loves all his visitors - please call to schedule a visit if you'd like!

As far as medical updates go, dad's cancer doctor (Dr. Whisenant) is great and very sensitive to his needs. Dad is still getting Chemo every Thursday, but his blood count levels were down again, so this last week he got a small shot of this really expensive medicine to help - like the nurse didn't want to waste any, because a drop cost hundreds of dollars. Amazing, isn't it? Do you think they'd let me pay rent in "medicine drop?" In any case, dad still has the nausea and fatigue from the Chemo, too. He is taking steroids right now, which have made his face fill out. To those of us who know, he's actually pretty puffy, but a lot of people think he looks "really good." Dad is wishing he felt even a little bit as good as he looks. A bright spot: Dad gained 7 pounds in two weeks! Hooray for eating!

We also wanted to mention that Cameron (Elder Loser) is doing very well in Mexico. Here is a snippet from his last email:

"Dad, I still can't put into words how I feel about you and how amazing you really are to me and to everyone who knows you. Your faith and strength are immeasurable. I love you dad. Mom, you also are an amazing, amazing example of a true eternal companion. I hope to marry someone who has the qualities and patience and love and support that you have and give to dad and us as your kids and to everyone else around you. I love you all so so so much. Isaac better remember who Uncle Cameron is when I get back, and maybe even another nephew. That goes for both marriages in the family. I love you guys, and thanks for everything - you all help me out so much."

We love our missionary!

Some events from the past few weeks:
* Dad attended some family weddings, including Sheri Scoresby from the Ricks family and Ryan Dickison from Mom's side. He loved them!
* The Loser family got a wonderful weekend visit from one of dad's childhood friends - she flew
all the way from California to see him! What a lucky dog. Thank you, Peggy, for your visit and the wonderfully cheerful spirit you brought to our home!
* The Loser family also got a visit from Jane Stoddard. We know her family from our time living in Grace, Idaho many years ago - we were good friends, and we've stayed in contact all these years. Thank you, Jane, for making the trek down to Utah to visit, and for your wonderful homegrown potatoes!
* Dad's niece, Jessica Wood (Catherine's daughter) was baptized! Hooray and congratulations for Jessica! She invited dad to speak on the Holy Ghost, and his talk was wonderful and inspiring for all.
* We were able to have the Jeff Dickison family over for Sunday dinner, and it was amazing! We all fit around the table and laughed and talked, then we played games - we love playing games with you guys! Thanks to Chari, Jeff, Jordan, Sarah, Chelsea, and Charlotte. And thanks to Sarah for letting Isaac run the fire truck up and down your face. That means he likes you!
* Mom and Dad were able to have a couples night with Jan and Steve Story - they ate delicious food and played a board game - yes folks, dad actually played a board game. It's like pulling teeth to get him to do it at home. Anyway, they loved it.
* Mom and Dad were also able to go out to dinner with the Reddings, and they love how good they feel around you. Thank you for being so uplifting!
* The Loser family got a special visit from the Elders, who were apparently too lazy to put on real clothes. Just kidding - it was a pajama visit! Thank you guys for coming over and oozing comfort. As always, we love to hear stories of the Elder family adventures.
* The Loser family were the recipients of a special musical concert put on at our home by Michelle Sundwall and April Moriarty. Sister Sundwall's singing lifted us to the heavens, and Sister Moriarty's violin playing made the angels jealous. Thank you for sharing a portion of your testimonies and bringing the spirit into our home.

In closing, as you can tell, we are still so very blessed. We have friends and family who are willing to put up with us, and we are served by all of you every day. Your prayers are known, and the hand of our loving Heavenly Father is evident in our lives.
We thank you for your patience and your love.
We love you all,
The Losers