Thank you all so very much

Hi Everyone,

This will be my final post I believe to How's Bob Doing.

I just wanted to thank all of you for everything you have done for Bob and I over the past 8 months. You have all helped us so much.

Thanks for all the wonderful meals people sent us. Thank you to the good friends who took care of our yard and helped me with the house. Thank you for the cards of encouragement. Thank you to so many people for listening to me, talking with me and helping me through some of the tougher days. Thank you to everyone at my job, for either giving me time off, or picking up my slack when I wasn't there, or keeping things going. Thank you so much for calling and visiting us and keeping us going.

Thanks for reading this blog and responding with all your kind words of encouragement. It has meant so much to me to be able to express myself through this and to know that you all cared enough to keep tabs on us.

I also want to make sure you all knew how much Bob appreciated all these things as well. He told me many times how blessed he felt to have such wonderful people in our lives. It made him, and me, feel that we were not in this thing all alone.

I have some tough days ahead of me, I know that. The one thing that helps me face this is knowing that you all care and will be there for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Carol

Arrangements

Hi,

I have finalized the arrangements for Bob's memorial service and wanted to share the info with you.

First, Bob's request was to be cremated, so we were able to delay the service till after Christmas. The service will be on Friday December 28th at Providence Funeral Home in Taylor. We will have visitation starting at 11am. The service will begin at 1pm. After the service there will be a 2 hour reception at the Clark Mansion, not too far from the funeral home, also in Taylor.

Directions to the funeral home:

From Austin/Round Rock - Take Highway 79 East to Taylor. As you are coming into Taylor turn left onto Highway 397. Stay to the right on the entrance ramp, and then turn/veer right onto 397. The funeral home is just a short way down this road on the right.

Directions to Clark Mansion from the funeral home:

Turn left out of the funeral home parking lot back onto 397 (also known as Carlos G. Parker Blvd). After about a half mile, more or less, turn left onto Lake Drive. About another half mile, more or less, you will see a huge white Victorian house on the left, at 2112 Lake. This is Clark Mansion; turn in here and park where you can.

I hope you all can make it. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts you have been sending my way. It has really comforted me to hear from you.

With love, Carol

December 20, 2007

As many of you have already heard, my Bob passed away today at noon. He was a fan of the movie High Noon, so I like to think he would have appreciated that. Though my loss is tremendous, it is mitigated by the love and concern you have shown me and the both of us. I can't even begin to tell you how appreciative we both have been for all the kindnesses people have shown us over the last seven months. People have brought us food, taken us to appointments, sat with us, cleaned for us, mowed our yard, listened to our fears, and mostly just loved us and been there for us. And I would also like to thank all of you who kept up with this blog. It's meant a lot to me see all of your sweet comments, or just to know you were reading it.

Thank you all so much for everything, from the bottom of my heart.

I'll be going with my aunt tomorrow to make arrangements for a memorial service, though I think it will probably be next Thursday or Friday. I will keep you posted.

Take care everyone. You are all in my thoughts, as I know we are in yours.

Carol

Wednesday Morning

Not much news. Again things are about the same. Bob's breathing is continuing to get more and more shallow. But he appears comfortable, and not in any distress. I'm by his side, as is our dog, Bridgette. She guards him, and growls if she's not sure about someone who gets too close to him.

Thanks again for everyone's concern and thoughts. I couldn't make it through this without each of you.

Carol

Tuesday Morning

Hi,

Things are mostly the same here. Bob was semi-conscious for a little while yesterday afternoon. But he has been resting comfortably since then. The Hospice nurse came out yesterday and checked him over. I'm going to see if they can come again today, he seems like he has a little fever.

My aunt got here just fine. It's nice to have her with me.

Carol

Quick Update

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick update on things. Bob hasn't been awake since 11am Sunday morning. Hospice came out to see us and he was non-responsive. He's not on the morphine any more. He doesn't appear to be in any distress. His blood pressure was low yesterday and I would imagine it's even lower today. The Hospice nurse is supposed to come out again today.

As for me, my aunt Frankie is coming in from Nashville this afternoon to be with me.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and sending us good thoughts. We appreciate you all so much.

Carol

Things are changing quickly

Bob is doing much worse. His breathing is very labored. He is on morphine pretty much round the clock as of yesterday. I talked to the Hospice nurse this morning. She was very helpful and comforting. But it does appear that we are more likely looking at days instead of weeks.

More as I can.

Carol

Best Laid Plans...

Hi Everyone,

We got really tough news this week. As you know from my last post, this was the week we were going back to Temple to resume the radiation treatments. We went up Monday and Bob had a treatment that afternoon. That night he started having more trouble than usual breathing and had a very restless night. Neither of us slept hardly a wink. The next day we called his radiation oncologist and he agreed with us that Bob should go to the emergency room. We spent most of Tuesday waiting in the emergency room. They took us back quickly, but then we had hours of waiting around while they ran tests and then conferred with other doctors.

Late that afternoon we received word that they had decided to admit him to the hospital so that they could do a broncoscopy the next day. That's where they put a camera down his trachea to see what's going on. The same doctor who has been working with Bob since the beginning of this on his breathing issues did the test, Dr. Dekeratry. He's really a very nice man. The results of the bronscoscopy are that the tumor has grown significantly into Bob's trachea. The way he drew it for me it looks like it takes up about four-fifths of Bob's trachea at one point. That's why he's having so much trouble breathing.

I don't know why this news is so different from the report we received two weeks ago that the tumor had shrunk. This doctor said that this latest info was also confirmed by the very same cat scan. But anyway, knowing this two weeks ago wouldn't have changed anything.

So, the doctor said that the only treatment at this point was to place a stint in Bob's trachea like the one in his esophagus. But it's not a really good option. It's quite a bit more complicated than the other stint. They would have to place him under general anesthesia, which could of course be dangerous. After it was placed there would be more chance for it moving and for several other complications. Plus Bob would have to do some type of breathing treatment four times a day. After hearing that, and seeing that the doctor was not hopeful for it extending his life either, Bob decided against it.

So, at this point Bob has decided to suspend all treatment, no more radiation, or drugs or needles or trips to different cities, or endless doctors' visits. He's completely exhausted. We asked the doctor what we're looking at time wise, and although he can't know for sure of course, his best estimate was weeks.

We came home Thursday, and Hospice has already been to the house to talk with us. Actually they met with us before we even left the hospital. They seem very nice and should be able to help us with our goal of having Bob be able to stay at home and be as comfortable as possible. At this point Bob and I are trying to get all our ducks in a row, speak with our friends and family, and be together.

Bob is having trouble breathing and talking, he's very tired, but he's still able to sit up and play on the computer and eat small meals. We plan to spend a lot of time watching old movies and hanging out together. I am taking some time off work so I will be here most of the time. My aunt Frankie is going to come down and help me when it gets to the point where Bob needs someone here all the time.

I guess that's all for now. I'll try to post more frequent updates now as things change.

Take care everyone,

Carol

No Real News, Just Updating

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd take a minute to update. Everything is going pretty well for us right now. We had a very restful Thanksgiving week. I appreciated having some time to rest as much as Bob. Being at home, and not at Temple, this past week was also very nice. We have one more week before we will go to Temple for the last two weeks of radiation. We're going to take a couple of days next week and try to get some other appointments out of the way. Bob's getting his teeth cleaned Monday and maybe his nails done one day as well.

We saw our regular doctor yesterday because Bob's back has been bothering him a lot. About 30 years ago Bob fused a couple of discs in his lower back while driving his Volkswagen bus from Miami to New Orleans. It hasn't really bothered him for all this time until now. The doctor speculated that it might be because he has lost weight and this shifted things around and caused it to start hurting him. There's also some degeneration and arthritis there now. Anyway, the doctor prescribed a couple of things, a pain pill and some naproxyn, so we'll see if those work. Bob thinks it might be slightly better today. Otherwise Bob is feeling about the same. He's still coughing and very very tired.

I've decided that when we start the two weeks of radiation that I will take a few days off work during that time so that I don't have to spend so much time driving back and forth between Austin and Temple. Those weeks I plan to work Tuesday which is our meeting day, and Saturday night, since we will be back home by that time. And I'll take off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I think that'll help me manage my stress level much better and make me a better person to be around, :-).

That's about all that's up with the Tureauds this week. Hope you are all doing great and getting your shopping done.

Carol