Good Bye January!

Brain cancer is saying...

..."Good bye, January!  You've been good to us!" 

The first month of 2017 had so many happy moments, days, and weeks.  Above is a tea cheers from January 23rd.  Thank you, friends and family for your incredible support to ring in the new year. 

We hope your happy moments outnumbered the difficult ones.

Here's to February!

Cancer Eradication Update:  Anthem changed their specialty pharmacy manager for Darrell's chemo.  His last two rounds will be supplied by BriovaRX  rather than CVS Specialty.  Andi navigated the lengthy and bumpy transition.  And Darrell outlasted a pharmaceutical company! Go Team go!

Another Brilliant Life Hack by Darrell

Brain cancer is...

...adding "free play time" to the to do list. 

Despite the nice, easy pace of our days recently, we still create to do lists.  Early this afternoon, I asked Darrell, "What's next on the list?"  He returned a few minutes later with his response, "Free play time."

Brilliant!  Free play time is not the same as "take a break from your list" or "do nothing" (which are also awesome).  It's time that each person actively engages in play.  Because today was our first day of free play, we spent some time wrapping our heads around the notion, as you see above. 

We hope you'll consider adding free play time to your lists too.

Hot and Cold

Brain cancer is...

...sporting hot weather gear.

It hit 80 degrees in Fullerton today.  Darrell switched from his favorite hat to his hot weather hat, as you see above.  This hat is vented and lighter in color so it protects Darrell's Optune unit from the heat better and thus prohibits alarms.

Darrell and the kids are both dealing with the cold that's going around.  As you see here, though, it didn't slow him down much.

We hope you are enjoying your Sunday.

Thankful for Kindness

Brain cancer is...

...thankful for kindness.

Today we accompanied LuAnn to the vet to put down her greatly loved friend, Kuma the Akita.
It was tough, as all who have had to save a pet from pain have experienced. You made the right call, Mom. Kuma deserved rest after 14 years of guardianship and friendship.

We were thankful for the kindness of everyone at the vet's office. We were thankful for their act of open kindness in lighting the candle, above, to respect Kuma's passing.

We were reminded that the human experience is larger than the human experience. We send our thoughts to everyone who loves, or has lost, a non-human team member.

Crossed the NYC Marathon Finish Line

Brain cancer is...

...walking, walking, walking.

We know we told you we were at the beach, enjoying great weather.  We were also walking the New York City Marathon.   Fit Bit has augmented reality challenges wherein you walk different scenic courses, like New York and Yosemite.  You hold up your phone along the landmarks to enjoy pictures of the view.  It took us days, but we're feeling pretty sassy about finishing a marathon. Woo Woo!

Tomorrow we start the Pohono Trail in Yosemite.


Happy Friday!

Overwhelming

(Guest blogger Alex Guillaume)

Brain cancer is....

...Overwhelming.

Now that Tiana and I are somewhat settled in school after a wonderful six months in California, I’ve had some time to reflect. Brain cancer is overwhelming. There are times when I’ll be struggling with some trivial task only to freeze up as the horror of what’s happening at home washes over me. During these moments, I realize that every emotion I feel, my parents feel more often, a hundred times worse. Yet they keep fighting. I tell myself that if my dad can passionately belt out his rendition of “Country Road” at 7 AM, if my mom can continue to lead workshops, then I can overcome my “problems.” Being at home for half a year has given me a greater appreciation of one huge source of my parents’ strength: you. Thank you, Team D, for the overwhelming wave of messages, visits, gifts, selfies, and burritos. Thank you for filling our lives with happiness and hope. Thank you for teaching me that feeling overwhelmed can be a good thing too. You’ve shown me that not all waves drown. 

Surprise Vacation

Brain cancer is...

...not interfering with Darrell's surprise skills.

Gotta love a guy who takes me to the pier for lunch (above) and then tells me...

...He also has a two-night reservation.  (View from our deck above.)

Can it get any better?  Yes! This morning we were loving life here enough to extend our stay by another night.

So sunny!

That Darrell! He's a keeper!
He might also be...

The guy on the Fisherman menu.

Right?  Happy Hump Day!

We love love.

Brain cancer is...

 ...pretty sentimental.

Our Word of the Year, open, makes us pretty mushy.  We just love love!  The picture, above, is a selfie kiss back in the days before selfies.  It's Gordon and Beverly Guillaume dating, in about 1943.  What followed was a great 65-year marriage.

We just love love!  The Holiday Helpers and Secret Santas sent photos during the reveal that just keep making us smile.  Here's a video so you can smile too.

Alternate Video Link

And here's Heather and Paul, after he asked her to date night this week.

Aw!  So sweet!

Not to add more pressure to your already full lives, but...for our sakes, please keep on lovin'.  We love love!

What an adventure!

Brain cancer is...

...always up for adventure.

Last night's storm dumped three inches of rain on Fullerton.  We headed to Craig Park for our walk and to check out the storm's effects.  Wow!  So this is what life can be like in places with water!

Here is a video with some of our discoveries.

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Don't worry.  Darrell's backpack and head stayed dry under an umbrella.

Happy First Day of Class, Titans!  Miss you!

Ready for Kick Off!

Brain cancer is...

More lucky rain

 ...ready for the Packer championship kickoff!

We reason that after the game we'll either be too sad (those Falcons are looking good) or too happy (Go Pack Go!) to post.  Therefore we are posting our Game Day Preparations at kick off.

It's not a bad day when your biggest worry is a football game.

Game Day Video Link

Update 1/22/17 4:38 p.m.

To the Atlanta Falcons:  Ouch!  Et tu, defense?
To the Green Bay Packers:  Great season, guys!  Heal up, and we'll be here when you get back.

To wash off the stench of defeat, here are some views from the bright side:

Mike and Kim's current view in Mexico

LuAnn's recent view in Mexico

LuAnn's view during the march in Los Angeles yesterday (1/21/17)

Post game, Labrador in the rain

Finally, Zachary gave the most important Packer statistics:  Packers' playoff season gave us three more Sundays together, cooking, cheering, and eating cheese.  You've got that right, Zach.

Slo Mo Saturday

Brain cancer is...

...moving nice and slow.

Above you see Darrell stuck in the mud at the park.  The rains really took their toll on our paths.  Don't worry; he safely backtracked and made it to non-sticky ground.

We took Alex and Tiana to the airport at 3:45 a.m.  They made it back to Pennsylvania and are settled into the Air B & B that will be their home for the next few months.

Back at home, we took it easy.  Although last week was busy, nothing important is on the calendar for the next few days except for...THE GAME (as Curt calls it).

Happy Slo Mo Saturday!

Like a boss!

Brain cancer is...

...getting handled like a boss!

Darrell is doing great, handling things like a boss.

• Results of the echo cardiogram suggest moderate regurgitation in the aortic and mitral valves.  Regurgitation means that the valves are not closing completely so that blood flows in two directions instead of one. Alex and Tiana conclude that Darrell's related statistics indicate that no treatment is required; it's not serious.  Dr. Park agrees.
• Darrell handled chemo like a boss.  He's on Day 5 of his five-day cycle. Only two cycles left!

Family pics with Alex and Tiana:  Gotta catch 'em all!  We were fortunate to have opportunities to snap these three pics during Alex and Tiana's final day in California.

Breakfast with Gordon

Lunch with LuAnn

Visit with Melanie

These photos only need to last us a couple months, until we join A & T in Pennsylvania for Match Day, March 17.

We hope you're handling your day like a boss too. Happy Friday!

Thanks from A & T

Brain Cancer is...

...enjoying a "thank you" dinner from and with Alex and Tiana.

We had a great night out at Stubriks with the junior Guillaumes. Alex and Tiana took Darrell, Andi and Zach out to say "thanks" for our support during their western adventure.  (We missed Summer, who was at work.)

Of course the pleasure was ours; we just didn't admit it until after the Bananas Foster.

Tomorrow is Alex and Tiana's last day in So Cal before heading back to the frozen North.  Six months went fast.  Fortunately, we've collected lots of treasured moments over those months.


Take a look at another Team D treasured moment of the day:  Kim and Mike enjoyed a sky high selfie kiss on the way to Cancun for a surprise vacation.

 
Wow! We hope you, too, are rich with treasures.  Keep 'em coming!

We Love You, Heart!

Brain cancer is...

 

Darrell's Heart:   Video Version Link

...giving us opportunities to appreciate more organs.

Today Darrell didn't wake up saying, "It's going to be a great day."  He woke up saying, "It's gloomy and doomy out there."  He was referring to both the weather (Come on, rain!) and to the prospect of another doctor's appointment.

Third day of the week, third appointment.  Dr. Park recently noticed a heart murmur, so today Darrell went in for a baseline echo cardiogram.  Many people have heart murmurs (including people in Darrell's family), and murmurs usually don't require treatment.  We'll get results tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, watching Darrell's heart beat and his valves open and close (see video link, above), was awe inspiring.  We thought about how many times those valves have opened and closed during Darrell's 56 years, and even before he was born.  We love you heart!

We committed to doing something nice for our hearts today.  If you'd like to join us in this "I heart heart" day, try one of the tips in this article.  No time to read?  Let us share some of our favorites from the article:

• Eat dark chocolate.
• Take a walk.
• Hug a pet.
• Hang with a friend.
• Love someone.  (Selfie kiss, anyone?)

Optune Update

Optune Amy dropped by yesterday to upload Darrell's Optune usage data.

A mere 96% compliance rating.  No big deal.

For the Medically Inclined:  A Heart Valve Lesson

In Darrell's video, above, that white "flapper" you see moving up and down is his mitral valve.  The heart has four valves, one for each chamber, that work together to circulate blood throughout our bodies.  Check them out in in this 30-second animation.

Clear Scan Confirmed

Brain cancer is...

...smiling!

The sweet smile, above, always starts our UCLA appointment on a happy, caring note.  We look forward to it every visit.


Dr. Cloughesy confirmed the conclusions of the radiologist and of Dr. Park:  No tumor growth, no new lesions. He also thinks the edema is decreasing slightly.  Compare images 2 (November) and 3 (January--current) and you can see why:  The light ellipse on the right side of the brain (surrounding the tumor) is smaller.

I wept a little when we told Dr. Cloughesy that the next time we see him, we will be past Darrell's one-year diagnosis anniversary.  Although it's true that we have no idea what will happen tomorrow, to be even thinking about the one year marker is an amazing gift to us.


In the spirit of celebration, Lennie and Christine are honoring the fabulous gift of Christine's 50th birthday with selfie kisses all over the South.

Friends, may your day, too, have something worthy of celebration.

Tucked in at Tiverton

Brain cancer is...

...Tucked in at Tiverton.

But first we got our walk in by exploring the UCLA campus.  Darrell, above, inspected their bent, a symbol of the Tau Beta Pi honor society.  He was the Tau Beta Pi advisor at CSULA.  He said this bent could use a polishing.  (Humorous note:  The polishing task is to be accomplished by new initiates.)


We see Dr. Cloughesy first thing tomorrow morning.  Today was the appointment with Dr. Park.  It was a great visit:

• Darrell's blood counts were all acceptable for starting chemo tonight.
• Dr. Park agreed with the radiologist's read on the latest MRI scan. Dr. Park's actual words were, "It's shrinking.  That's cool!"
• No scan is required until March.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Team D!  That's cool!

Happy Birthday, Zachary!

Brain cancer is...

 

 ...so grateful to have watched Zachary become who he is over the past 24 years.

(Viewers Note:  This video is high resolution and might take a while to play.  Try the Alternate Video Link for faster viewing.)

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Here's to family and its next generations!

Sanguine Saturday

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying Saturday.

We are feeling sanguine given Darrell's good health to date and another day of family time.  Darrell has a big week with doctors and chemo ahead, so we spent the day enjoying satisfying pursuits.

The coots all came running to me at the park today. 

 

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I know they just wanted food, but I felt special nonetheless.  Alex called me a "coot whisperer."

We loved seeing David and Mitra.

And the Zach, Summer, Darrell, Andi and dogs watched play-off football.  As you know, Darrell lives for football.

We hope you too are feeling cheerfully optimistic about your day too.

8 Noses, 20 Legs

Brain cancer is...

 ...enjoying fun family math.

Tonight in the Guillaume House, there are 8 noses and 20 legs.  Who is sleeping here tonight?
Everyone!! Both dogs, four kids, and D & A are back under one roof together.

Alex and Tiana just returned from their final interview trip.  Hurrah!  They each completed about 19 interviews and are happy to be done, as you see here--so happy they are wearing shades indoors.

Now Tiana and Alex begin the process of ranking all the institutions where they interviewed while the institutions are simultaneously ranking them.  All of that information goes into some great computer in the cloud.  (Suddenly that nose/leg math problem sounds super simple!)

They will learn of their residency match on March 17...the same day as all graduating medical school students in the nation.  They get one match, and it's absolutely binding.

Between now and then? This weekend they fly back to finish school in Pennsylvania, graduating in April. It seems like they just got here and yet we are down to our last week.

UPDATE 1/14/17:  Alex and Tiana leave on 1/21.  That's technically next weekend.

Hugs to all Team D members out in their many travels and adventures!

Array Team

Brain cancer is...

...thoroughly treated.

We returned to Fullerton after a great trip, and Mousse was ready to help with the array change.

Longtime readers may recall a post that pictured Darrell's new personalized array maps. On those maps, we mark the date and position of the arrays each time we change them.  Today I declare that those maps are full:

What a privilege to have so many days past that we need to print out another set of treatment maps.

Thanks for sticking with us all those days!  

Nothing Doing!

Brain cancer is...

...doing nothing.

Thank goodness for more rain.  It gives us a good reason to do nothing.

Happy Rainy Wednesday!

Staying Fit on Vacation

Brain cancer is...

...staying fit, building lean muscle mass.

For this vacation, we focus on fitness.  We start the day with a tough workout.

Backpack becomes frontpack.

We also go for a five-mile walk.

Darrell's commitment is to achieve peak physical condition.  

...

Just kidding!!

Cheers!

Cozy

Brain cancer is...

...nice and warm.

Here we are in our Air Force sweatshirts.  Thanks Melanie and Gail!  It was a tough selfie to get to show the words; sorry!


This morning we drove out to explore walking territory at the ocean...for tomorrow.  We are spending this rainy day in a marathon session of watching the video version of my all time favorite book series, the Outlander.   Thanks for the loan, Mom!  And thanks, Darrell, for being a great sport in watching the series I've shared with you through stories all those years!

Go Pack, Go!

Brain cancer is...

...enjoying Carlsbad!

Thanks,  Beth and Geoff!  Here's breakfast...

And here is us beating New York.  See cheese on head.

Here's the end of the day.  : ) 

Here is to a lazy tomorrow.