CHRISTMAS, DAVID'S BIRTHDAY & AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

So much has happened since Angela's birthday on Dec. 16 that it's hard to know where to begin with this post. So, let me start with the good news. From the time of Angela's visit to Duke on Sept. 8 until last week, she had been in a state of depression that she just wasn't able to shake. Well, in the last few days her mood and outlook have taken a remarkable turn for the better. David and I believe that this change in attitude is due to the new anti-depressant medicine she recently began taking.

Last Friday was David's birthday and he called me to take him to lunch, which is a practice we've held for years. Five minutes later he called back to tell me that Angela would be joining us, which shocked and thrilled both of us. Well, the weather that day was unseasonably warm and the three of us sat outdoors at Serrano's at the north gates of LSU. David and I were both so excited to see Angela out of the house and off the recliner where she's been spending nearly all of her waking moments since early September. It was such a great lunch.

After lunch, David suggested that we head across the street to Highland Coffees and the time we spent there was even better than lunch. Before the kids came along and, to a lesser degree, even afterwards, we've hung out together in coffee shops all over town; so this was like bringing back old times. Everything considered, Angela couldn't have given David a better birthday present than she did by joining us on Friday. It was really a special afternoon. That evening Steele and I went to their house for birthday cake, and again, you could still see the change in Angela's demeanor.

Angela's positive change in attitude has continued since Friday too. Today, for the first time in a long time, Angela went to physical therapy and that was followed by chemotherapy. Tomorrow she is scheduled to have an MRI.

I'm sure a lot of you who visit this page are wondering how Christmas was for the Flukers. I spent all day Christmas Eve with Angela and the kids and was there Christmas morning, as I am every year. So here's a Christmas update, beginning with Alex's birthday party on Dec. 20th.

Katherine was sick on the Saturday that Alex had his birthday party and I stayed with Kat and Angela so that David could attend the party with Christian and the Birthday Boy. David's sister and niece, Diane and Karlie, brought the boys to get a live Christmas tree after Alex's birthday party. That night they returned home and all of us, including Katherine, decorated the tree as Angela watched from her chair. Without question, their favorite part of decorating was throwing the icicles on the tree.

Christmas Eve evening, Angela's side of the family came over to the house to eat and exchange presents and on Christmas morning, Diane and Karlie came over to make breakfast. Between the toys Alex received for his birthday and the toys all three received on Christmas, there was hardly any room to move.

In closing, I should point out that Angela still doesn't have any short term memory. But, there is a very noticeable change in her attitude. Though she does have her down moments, those moment are much more rare now and she's smiling again... and we are all very thankful for that.

Angela's 45th Birthday

Last night, Angela's sister and a few of her closest friends joined David and Angela for a steak dinner on the occasion of Angela's 45th birthday. The children's sitter, Courtney, took them to Chuck E. Cheese's while the rest of us enjoyed a quiet dinner at their home. The combination of her tumor and her treatment plan has caused Angela to face mounting challenges in the past few months and all of us were concerned as to how well she would handle the evening. Well, it pleases me to tell everyone who reads this blog that it couldn't have gone any better.
Angela joined us all at the head of the table in their main dining room for what turned out to be a great meal highlighted by even better conversation. There was no shortage of funny stories to keep the mood of the evening light and just as the birthday cake was about to be served, Courtney walked in with the kids. The timing was perfect.
Within a 15-day span in December, Alex, Angela and David have birthdays and there is also Christmas... so this is a very busy time of year. But last night was a great evening. And no sooner than were Angela's presents opened, did I receive a phone call to tell me my nephew and his wife had given birth to a baby boy. Just hours later, Steele's nephew and his wife gave birth to a baby girl.

Weekend After Thanksgiving Pics

The boys and I went fishing at Kevin Bankston's camp the Friday following Thanksgiving. Kevin and Cecil were wonderful hosts. Angela, Katherine and Angela's sister (Theresa) stayed at home and had a girl's night. Sorry no pics of the "girls night" - too risque from what I'm told!

Christian caught this one!

Angela's 45th B-Day is this coming Tuesday December the 16th.

Kat's B-Day

Our little baby girl turned two this past Friday. We had a small party at the house to celebrate. Here are few pictures to enjoy.

Good News

Angela's tumor is stable once again. Her doctor is going to keep her on the same chemo cocktail. As I described how Angela took the news to a friend yesterday, I used words like bitter-sweet and happy-sad. Since our last visit to Duke when we had received bad news, it has been a struggle to get Angela engaged back into "living". Prior to the last visit she was going to physical therapy twice a week. In the last 2 months she has only went once. Please pray this good news will recharge her batteries and motivate her to continue the fight.

Yesterday our visit ran over 4 hours late and we missed our flight. I booked a mid afternoon flight today; and Angela and I took this opportunity to sleep late.

We did have a great time at SeaWorld. Unfortunately Angela just could not muster the energy to go to the park with kids. We would like to express our gratitude and give a REALLY BIG THANKS to my sister (Diane), my niece (Karlie) and John Michael for going with us! Ah the comical stories I could tell about the trip ... right John Michael .... but maybe another time.

Thanks again for all your prayers, support and post.

A FLIGHT TO ORLANDO & A DAY IN SEAWORLD

As I write this, we're coming to the end of a very long day. Yesterday, eight of us-- David, Angela, Alex, Christian, Katherine, (David's sister and niece) Diane and Karlie and I-- took to the friendly skies and headed from New Orleans to Orlando. For Christian and Katherine, it was their first airplane flight and it was Alex's second flight following a trip he took with his parents to San Diego when he was a year old. The flight was great. The eight of us sat in the front two rows of the plane and that was perfect since that as close as you can get to the plane's bathroom.

On Saturday, Diane, Karlie and I took the kids to Seaworld and the weather was flawless-- a high around 80 and not a cloud in the sky. The boys were really excited about seeing killer whales and sharks and Shamu was one of our first stops.

Talk about good seats. Even though the arena was almost completely full by the time we arrived, we were able to get these really great seats up front. Our seats were just about eye-level with the top of the tank, thus allowing us a great view of the whales when they were both under water and when they were flying through the air.

The kids were really loving the show and about 20 minutes into it I began to marvel at just how lucky we had been. Even though our seats were marked "SOAK ZONE", the whales hadn't splashed the first drop of water on us.

It had been so long since my last trip to Seaworld that I didn't even realize that we hadn't already seen Shamu until they announced him and this huge whale appeared. The kids were all mesmerized by this giant mammal zipping across the tank and the next thing we see is a whale out of water followed by a solid wall of water headed right at us.

We got DRENCHED! Two more waves of water soon followed and I couldn't stop laughing. With the kids, it wasn't a laughing matter. The waves of water scared them and all three were crying at once.

Soaked, shivering and tasting salty, I suggested to Diane that we retreat to higher ground. We left the arena with the show still in progress and tried to calm down three very wet children.

From there we caught a few more shows and went to the shark exhibit and the penguin exhibit. While David and Angela rested at the hotel room and watched the LSU-Alabama game, the kids were getting up close and personal with marine life.

After we returned to the hotel, David and Angela went to a nearby Mexican restaurant and the rest of us went swimming at our hotel.

In the morning, David and Angela are taking one plane to Raleigh, Diane and Karlie are taking the kids back to Louisiana on another flight and I'm going to stick around here for a little longer.

Another Tough Week

The new cocktail with the carboplatin is really taking its toll. She had severe nausea for most of yesterday. Mentally the depression seems to be getting the upper hand. Please continue to pray for us as this is a very difficult time.

Keebo - The Family Pet

This weekend was especially sad for our family. We had to put our dog of nearly 15 years, Keebo, down this past Saturday. Keebo was Angela's first "child". She gave him birthday parties and he rode with her nearly everywhere she went (pre-kids of course). She is taking his loss pretty hard.

In general, things have been very rough since our return from Duke. She has not been tolerating the new chemo cocktail very well. Mentally she has been in a "funk" for lack of a better term. It has been a challenge to get her motivated enough to get out of the house or go to physical therapy.

TREATMENT DAY

Today Angela was "introduced" to her new drugs. She is now receiving a new chemo drug (added to the two she is already taking) and a new nausea pill. Time will tell if the new chemo drug is working but I can tell you that the new nausea medication IS working. She called me today after her treatment and she was having trouble deciding between a cheeseburger from Wendy's or homemade lasagna that we brought her last night. Does that sound like someone not feeling well??? When we last spoke it sounded like the lasagna won...............but I am sure she'll change her mind a few times before she gets home.

She will continue with her treatments every other Wednesday (new chemo once per month). The next MRI is scheduled one month from now with the next visit to Duke in two months. David will post more details at a later date regarding her treatment plan.

Angela seems to be doing well. I am sure that you all can understand that she has been a little down lately BUT she still remains positive and focused on a full recovery.

Please pray for Angela to continue to have the strength to fight the battle.

Thanks for the prayers,
tammy

PS - Angela just called to say that the lasagna was great.......guess she didn't change her mind!

Setback

I wish I had better news, but the tumor appears to be growing again. Dr. Reardon, her doctor at Duke, is adding another chemo drug to the "cocktail", Carboplatin. We're waiting to board the plane. It will be a long ride home.

We're Still Here!

We survived Gustav. Angela said she is leaving to find a far away island next Labor Day. Last Labor Day it was a brain tumor. This Labor Day it was Gustav.

We have no power like the rest of Louisiana, but we were very fortunate to have no damage to our house. The boys and Kat clung to my legs as we ventured out into the early part of the Hurricane on our front porch.

Angela is doing fine. As I'm typing this we are sitting in the luxury of air conditioning at Dr. Staggs' office getting her biweekly round of chemo. I'm sure she'd skip the chemo if she could even, if though it comes with AC. We're gearing up to go to Duke on Sunday. We're going to miss all this heat and humidity here.

PREPARING FOR GUSTAV

All is well with the Fluker's. The kids have adjusted well to school and Angela is back at work! I visited with Angela a few days ago and it was almost like old times...........an incredible visit!!!!
I wanted to let all of you know that they are prepared for the storm with a stocked refrigerator and lots of water and batteries. They will ride the storm out at home but rest assured that I will be checking in on them often.
This is an off week of chemo so that is good since we have no idea of what traffic will be like for the next week.
Please continue to pray for God to continue to bless Angela with only the best of days.

Thanks for the prayers.

tammy

Duke Agrees

Duke has agreed with the MRI results given in Baton Rouge - Tumor Remains Stable!!!! Angela travels to Duke in September.
Wednesday was a treatment day (Lowry - you were correct) and I am pleased to say that once again.........no nausea! What a blessing. Angela and I have a ritual that she calls me on her way home from treatments to celebrate the lack of nausea. Since starting the new medicine months back, she has been able to call me every time!!!
Everything is going well in the Fluker home. The kids started school this week. They started a new school this year and are quickly making new friends. The teachers told Angela that Katherine loves to be outside.
Once again, great news and for that we are all thankful. Thanks for your continued support and prayers.

tammy

TUMOR REMAINS STABLE

As you all know, Angela had a MRI yesterday afternoon. The doctors office called David this morning to let him know that the tumor remains stable. No growth!!! You will hear the word stable often when discussing the MRI results. The doctors will not use the work shrunk unless it is 50%. So, when they say stable, it could very well be getting a little smaller each time. They have sent the MRI to Duke for their review. The doctors there will let them know their findings. Once there are more specifics from Duke, we will post again. This usually takes a few days. Angela is not scheduled for another trip to Duke until September (her 1 year mark).
Please keep up the prayers because it is obvious they are working. It's not everyday that we are able to experience a miracle...........I am so blessed to be able to experience this one!

God Bless!
tammy

Stephen's Update

A good friend of mine today reminded me it has been some time since I have made a post. So Stephen ....here's your post.

Angela is doing well. Her walking and general mobility has continue to improve. She has even had a few days back at work. While her site (http://www.frenchquartermarket.com/) has continued to operate in her absence, it has been largely on cruise control since last September. Considering I have been accused of having no taste or style, which I have no doubt is true, it's good to have the creative partner back. Welcome back Angela!

This past weekend Angela's niece, Tiffany, got married. Angela and I had the pleasure of watching all three of our children walk down the aisle as members of the bridal party. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Joey Stein! By the way ..... You guys owe me big time .... three kids four years of age and under .... dressed in formal wear (lots of backroom negotiating for this) .... for four hours before the 7 pm wedding for pictures .... did I mentioned I was dressed in a suit while "attending" to the youngest members of the bridal party. I should not complain about the daunting task of the event itself. The worst part of the ordeal was the skillfully negotiated payoff lunch at Chuck E. Cheese the next day. Have you ever had their pizza? It ain't so good.

We'll take another round of chemo tomorrow. Thursday we're scheduled for an MRI. I'll post the results as soon as we have them. Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Mommy is keeping it on the road!

This was just one of the comments from the backseat cheering section as we followed Angela to drop the Expedition off at the repair shop this morning. This was Angela's first time to drive since being diagnosed. Alex, Christian and Katherine were all cheering as we pulled up to the repair shop. Angela decided she hadn't lost her touch; and drove us all out to a private residence just shy of Jackson Louisiana to fish and swim this afternoon. We all had a great time catching fish, eating hot dogs and swimming. In Christian's first fishing outing he's already proven he could out fish Sam "Fish Less" Furby on any given day of the week. Check out Christian's first fish. Thanks to Jarrod and Tiffany for the great day.


When we returned home I stayed in the truck while our passed out crew finished their naps; and Angela cooked a delicious dinner for us.

Last night John Michael invited and treated us to the circus. The kids had a great time. We are a little scared Christian is going to try some of the circus acts he saw at home though.

Again thanks for all your prayers.

RDU Airport Update

Today was a good visit at Duke. Everything remains stable and continues to move in the right direction. The doctors are pleased and as long as everything continues this way we will continue with the same treatment; and will review everything at one year. I don't blog much because it is too emotionally draining for me to express my feelings at times. All I can say is thank God for everything. I have been so blessed with the most special family and friends. Even though this past 9 months has at times been a horrible nightmare that won't end, God has been with me every step of the way. As my journey continues, I want to thank everyone for their prayers. I can not tell you what this means to me and my family.

Angela

Dyeing Easter Eggs with the Fluker boys

Alex, Katherine & Christian Fluker

Another Good MRI!

Angela had an MRI this morning. "Stable or minimally shrinking" was the report I just received from Dr. Stagg. A big THANK YOU to Dr. Stagg and his staff for being so quick and thoughtful to call us with the results. They have continually gone above and beyond. We're heading for a Duke visit on Monday. We'll give y'all another update on Monday at the airport.

BUSY WEEK

This will be a busy week for Angela. She has her regular chemo treatment on Wednesday, a MRI on Friday and she leaves for Duke on Sunday. Her appointment at Duke is Monday morning so she will return home that afternoon.

She continues to feel well and has been staying very busy. Physical therapy three times a week and working out at the YMCA as well.

I will post the results of her MRI and visit to Duke as soon as they are available.

Please pray that this week brings only good news.

God Bless!

tammy

ALL IS WELL

I wanted to post a quick note to let all of you know that Angela is doing very well. She continues physical therapy 3 times a week and she has also hired a personal trainer to help her at the local YMCA.

This is an off week of chemo and doctors appointments. Her next visit to Duke is June 15Th. At that time they'll discuss her treatment plan and the progress she has made. As of now, there is no plan to change any of the medications ~ just a follow-up visit.

I am sure all of you have seen the news about Ted Kennedy and his battle with brain cancer. Just an FYI, he and Angela have the same type of cancer. He had surgery at Duke and is being treated there. So, when you learn through the news about his illness, you are learning about Angela too.

On a more personal note, the boys are out of school. Angela has hired a college girl (Courtney) to nanny the children during the week. The kids love Courtney (Angela too) and they are very excited to have her!!! All three of the kids are taking swimming lessons and loving it! Christian's birthday party was great and he was excited about all of this toys!!!

As always, thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. They mean more than you could ever realize. You all have helped Angela get to the point that she is now and for that I thank you!

Take care and until next time ~ God Bless All Of You,

tammy

Enjoying Life

Angela and I have just been busy enjoying life. The boys are in two T-Ball leagues. One of the leagues played their last game yesterday evening. Obviously we are little biased, but Alex and Christian are amazing. I jokingly call them the Dynamic Duo. Where are the talent scouts?

This Sunday we'll be celebrating Christians 3rd birthday at the splash grounds in Gonzales. Angela is excited and has a Superman theme planned. Christian use to be Spiderman.... but somehow he has climbed the evolutionary ladder to become Superman!

Angela is now beginning to work out at YCMA. She has a little anxiety being in a gym setting, but with a little encouragement she is getting through it.

The nausea following the chemo has gotten considerably better. Thanks for your continued thoughts, posts and prayers.

MRI Results Are More Good News

For those of you who haven't seen Angela in a while, I should start by saying she's looking great, getting around great and doing great. And today, there was more great news. This morning Angela had another MRI and the results came back stable.

Safari Sunday

Sunday, April 27: As I write this, we are leaving Global Wildlife in Robert, LA. This was a trip we had been planning to take together for more than a year, and the wait was worth it. Though the boys were initially upset to see open fields instead of a “jungle,” the experience of being surrounded by thousands of animals quickly made them lose all images of Tarzan swinging from the trees.
Among the scores of animals who surrounded our wagon for a high-protein meal, Alex cup-fed a giraffe and longhorn steer and Christian cup-fed a camel.
Though the skies were ominous for much of our 90-minute ride, we were fortunate that there was only scattered drizzle and the incoming weather cooled the temperature.

Today marked the second Saturday in a row hanging out with exotic animals. Our visit to the Baton Rouge Zoo last Saturday included the mandatory train ride (which is the REAL reason Alex and Christian love the zoo). For Angela, the day meant three straight hours of pushing Katherine in her stroller.

Saturday, May 3: The kids are spending the day with Diane and David, Angela and Steele went to a fundraiser for Hospice of Baton Rouge. Right now the four of us are at Brew Ha Ha, a coffee shop at Jefferson at Government, and I am catching flack for not posting last week’s blog (see above).
As you would have read in Tammy’s recent post, Angela has been doing great and the anti-nausea medicine she’s on now is really working. I’m sure I could come up with more to say, but the most important thing you need to know is that things are going great.
Oh, I know what I’ll add. At Easter, the boys and I made a really cool movie of them dying Easter eggs—but Angela won’t let me post it to youtube.com. I really wish you could see it though—it’s CUTE!

High Spirits

Today Angela had another treatment and I am happy to report that the new nausea meds are still working. Joey & I went for a visit this afternoon and she was on the sofa watching television. David and the kids had gone to their t-ball game. Angela was tired but feeling okay....not nearly as bad as she has in the past. Her usual afternoon after a treatment consists of sleep, sleep and more sleep and horrible nausea. Today, other than being tired, she was great!!!! We figured tonight that she should be due for another MRI in 2 or 3 weeks.

On a different note, her doctor told her today that the research he has read lately regarding the chemo she is receiving in regards to the type of cancer she has has become more favorable than in the past. This is great news in that it appears that the research is paying off. He told her that he'd give her more details at her next appointment.

Last week, she and I went to the mall and Wal Mart. We walked around and shopped until we couldn't shop anymore. This was her first trip to these places since last summer!!! Yesterday, she, David & Katherine went grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is something that they have always enjoyed doing together. She has been getting out a lot more and enjoying her family.

Well, as you can see she is doing well. Her spirits are high and all is well in the Fluker home.

Until next time, please keep Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine in your prayers.

Thanks to all of you and God Bless!

TREATMENT WEEK

Angela had a chemo treatment yesterday and I am happy to say that she is feeling well today. Her doctor gave her a new nausea medication to try and it appears to be doing the job. I talked to her a few times today and I couldn't tell she had a treatment yesterday. Usually, I don't speak with her for a few days so imagine my surprise when she called me this morning. What a blessing!!!! This new medication has come at the right time. She and I just had the "I don't know how long I can do this. How long I can put up with feeling bad" talk. While she is not giving up, I am sure that all of you can only begin to imagine how it must feel to be sick for weeks at a time. I have thanked God all day for blessing her with such a wonderful day. All of our prayers are being answered so keep up the good work.

Angela, David and the kids have been enjoying the beautiful weather with many family outings. They have picked strawberries, been to museums and parks and visited friends. The boys are playing T-Ball this summer so they have been busy with practice and games. Angela has enjoyed going to watch them.

Sorry it has been so long without an update but always remember that no news is good news.

Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine want to thank all of you for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. God Bless all of you!

The Right Direction.

We're sitting at the Raleigh-Durham Airport enjoying a leisurely lunch, while Angela and I give everyone a much overdue update. Our visit this morning with Dr. Reardon went great! The tumor keeps heading in "the right direction". It is responding well to the Avastin and CPT-11. Angela is in great spirits but her taste in food is questionable. I jokingly told Steele on the way to the airport this morning the visit went so well that I was going to treat Angela to Taco Bell. Well that statement wasn't too far off the mark when Angela began conjuring up fond memories of Godfather's Pizza from her college days. Angela's roommate, Lowry, had a friend who worked and loaded up their pizzas. Unfortunately that friend does not work at this franchise. Even with lame pizza we're still both smiling from ear to ear. Maybe she'll let me pick the restaurant next time. THANKS everyone for your prayers! They're working! Keep'um coming!

On the not so good side of things, we had an auto accident on Easter Sunday. Angela was still nauseous from chemo and did not make it to church. After the kids and I returned from church, we all loaded up in the Expedition and headed for my sister's. Before we could cross the bridge we had to turn back around to bring Angela home. She was just too nauseous. The kids and I went on to Diane's house for the day. We had a great day. The kids hunted Easter eggs and played with their cousins. We left Aunt Diane's around 6 pm and no more than a mile down the road a car pulled in front of us to turn into a driveway. I had no choice but veer slightly to the right. We hit the front end of the girls car and it sent us into a deep ditch about 8 feet off the road. I called to let Angela know we had had a fender bender and that everyone was OK. Needless to say she was a little surprised when she saw the pictures when we got home. Everyone including the five other people in the Saturn were OK. The driver of the Saturn was given a citation for failure to yield to on coming traffic.

Here are a few picks from a family photo shoot we did at our house this past Thursday. Thanks to Jarrod who did a wonderful job. Here's your plug http://www.jarrodsw.com/.

Angela insisted we include a picture of the dog. My apologies for wasting your time. Time to catch the plane. This is the kind of update you get when Angela and I have too much free time on our hands.

God Bless,

David & Angela

Easter Week and Beyond !!!

Angela was able to make it to the engagement party for Tiffany & Joey last Saturday and greatly enjoyed it. She was not feeling very well earlier that evening, but was absolutely determined to be there! It was a beautiful evening and a great party. Angela perked up once she arrived and enjoyed talking to everyone at the party. She enjoyed the fathers', Sebastion and Lionel's toasts to the engaged couple, which were the perfect balance of humor and sentiment.

Nausea subsided for Monday and Tuesday of this week, so Angela has enjoyed time with David and the children at home.

Alex, Christian, and Katherine are all doing well and have been enjoying playing outside some evenings when it is cool and clear. They are preparing for Easter and Angela has stocked up on eggs and all the supplies for egg dyeing. David is still doing a terrific job juggling many roles.

Angela and David are both amazing in that throughout this whole ordeal, they still at many times display their unique brand of humor that makes it a pleasure to be with them.

This afternoon she is receiving her sixth intravenous chemotherapy treatment. Hopefully, it will do its job without jolting her system too severely. Her next visit to Duke in North Carolina is scheduled for Monday, March 31. Keep praying and we'll keep you posted.

Nausea

It is 11:00 am Saturday morning and Angela is still in bed battling nausea from Wednesday's chemo infusion. The nausea is beginning to take its toll on her spirits. Again your prayers and well wishes have meant so much to her.

On the positive side of things, last night Katherine actually said "night night mama". Considering Katherine doesn't talk yet it really lifted her spirits.

Life is still rather hectic. The doctors appointments have slowed down, but my role as Mr. Mom continues at "full throttle". Thanks for your prayers for me as well. Please pray that God will grant me patience. I seem to be in short supply of it these days. Thanks.

David

They Got It Right!!!!!!!!!

While I don't have specifics, I can tell all of you that Angela's appointment went great today. Dr. Stagg did confirm that the tumor has shrunk. He told Angela that he was very pleased with the MRI and that if he is happy, she should be happy. She had her routine blood work done today and everything came back great on that. Then it was off to her chemo treatment. I talked to her while she was taking her treatment and she sounded just great. While she tries not to get her hopes too high, she is very thankful of her progress thus far. She will continue on her same schedule for chemo (every other week) and will have another MRI in 6 weeks. Between that time, she is scheduled for another visit to Duke.

Sorry I don't have more specifics but I wanted all of you to know that we are all witnessing a miracle in progress. God is good indeed!!!!!

God bless you for all that you have done for Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine.

"Good - Good"

"Good - Good" was Dr. Stagg's description of Angela's MRI results. The tumor has shrunk. Your prayers and the chemo must be working. Thanks! After we see Dr. Stagg in person for her next chemo session on Wednesday I'll provide more detailed information. A big thanks to Dr. Stagg's office for caring enough to get us the results so fast.

Weekend/MRI Monday

Joey and I had the pleasure of going with the Flukers to the Baton Rouge Zoo Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time! The kids were very excited about riding the zoo train. The boys ran from cage to cage in excitement looking to see all of the beautiful animals. Kat spent the day either in her paran's arms on riding in her mama's lap. While Angela enjoyed herself, the worry she has is painfully obvious. She tries not to show it much but I guess I know her too well. So, please continue to keep her in your daily thoughts and prayers.

Now onto the MRI. It is scheduled for 9:00 am on Monday morning. As of now, Angela will get the results at her regular appointment on Wednesday. She also has her next chemo treatment on Wednesday. So, all you prayer warriors, at 9:00 am on Monday morning, pray like you have never prayed before. Please ask God to bless Angela with the results that she deserves and wants very badly.

These pictures are from our trip to the zoo. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed our time.

Angela would again like to thank everyone for their kindness during this very trying time. All of you have helped her to get this far. Don't give up and she promises that she won't!!!

God Bless Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine!!!!

First Rough Week of Chemo

Last week was the first time the chemo really took its toll on Angela. She had been feeling really weak and nauseous up until Tuesday. We're talking "no drinking coffee in the same room because I don't like the way it smells" nauseous. However this morning I'm sitting on the couch enjoying a cup of coffee with Angela (mines leaded ...hers unleaded). She is feeling better and stronger now.

While she hasn't discussed it much, I know the up coming MRI is weighing heavy on her mind. Please continue to lift her up in prayer as we approach Monday's MRI.

Next MRI .. on the 3rd

Angela completed her 4th session of Chemo today. It is currently being administered every other Wednesday. She is scheduled to have an MRI on March the 3rd. We'll know then if this stuff is working. Please pray for good news. Angela is still doing good. As I'm writing this in the kitchen she is visiting with friends. She continues to tolerate the chemo well.

The picture is from a few weeks ago. We watched a neighborhood Mardi Gras parade at my Aunt Lucy's house. Again thanks for your prayers and posts.

My Valentine!

My beautiful bride was my Valentine yesterday. I talked her into going out on a date to Thai Kitchen. The company and food were both exceptional. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Angela continues to improve mentally, physically and spiritually. Your prayers are working! We're touched to know so many of you are praying for us. Everyday someone tells us how Angela was lifted up in prayer by their child, a friend, family member or in church. Again it is hard to express what this truly means to us. THANKS!

Progress Note for Lowry

We just finished watching Monster-in-Law (it was tolerable - where's Rambo or Maximus Orellius when you need him) while Angela received her chemo. She is napping right now waiting for the bag to finish dripping. I thought I would take a moment and give Lowry (Angela's college roommate) the progress update she requested. Her blood work came back great today. She has already tapered off one seizure med and is tapering off of her steroid this week. Initially she was taking enough pills to make a movie star blush. No more headaches and increased mobility. This typically indicates the tumor is stable or shrinking. We'll know in a few weeks when Dr. Stagg orders her next MRI. She is tolerating the chemo exceptionally well. We are scheduled to go back to Duke March 31st. Until then she will continue to receive chemo intravenously every other week.

WOW!!!!

Joey & I visited with Angela, David and the little ones tonight for Angela's weekly manicure. I must say that I loved what I saw. Angela's mobility is truly remarkable. Her left arm appears to be as strong and her right. She is walking without her cane......that is right, I said WITHOUT!!!!! David had to put his shoes on because Angela was stepping on his feet as she was moving around the house so fast. Not only does David have to watch out for the kids as they run around he now has to watch out for his precious wife.............and I really doubt that you'll hear any complaints from him. It's business as usual in the Fluker house today!
She has her next Chemo treatment tomorrow (Wednesday) so please remember her in your thoughts and prayers in a special way during the day.
By the way, Angela & David have asked me to bring my camera next time I visit so we can put some updated pictures on the site. So be on the look out for those in the next week or so.
Again, thanks to all of you for your prayers, phone calls, visits, posts and delicious meals. There are no words to tell all of you how much you are appreciated.

God Bless Angela, David, Alex, Christian & Katherine!

A Great Week

For lack of better words, Angela's "quality of life" has been on the upswing for the last several weeks. The last several mornings Angela has got up and made me a cup of coffee and cooked me and the boys some biscuits. While making me a cup of coffee and breakfast in the morning may seem more like a "quality of life" improvement on my part, it has added a big smile to my beautiful brides face and a feeling somewhat reminiscent of better days. Her motor skills and mental state continue to improve.

THANKS to all our family and friends who continue to support and pray for us. Angela has gained four pounds. We're talking about a dietician here. Translation - All of your home cooked meals have been great!

Another Round of Chemo

Angela had another round of chemo today. She seems to be tolerating it well and her motor abilities continue to improve. Let's pray this is a positve sign. Angela and I enjoyed a movie today, Wild Hawgs, while the chemo IV was administered. It was nice to laugh given the circumstances. Angela is requesting a "Chick Flick" for next round. I welcome any chick flick movie recommendations, keeping in mind that I'll have to sit there and watch it too. Please no Hugh Grant movies!

A Nice Evening

It has been quite sometime since Angela has felt like putting on something other than cute atheletic outfits and going somewhere. Yesterday evening she put on a fashionable pair of jeans and got all "dolled up". If I have to say so myself she looked rather stunning. Life almost seemed "normal". We met some friends at one of our old haunts, CC's Coffee House on Perkins; and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. As the coffee chatter grew to a close, Angela and I decided to end the night at another one of our pre-kid hangouts, George's on Perkins. We shared a delicious plate of thin cut catfish and a large order of onion rings. No calorie counting! It was a wonderful night.

Angela seems to be feeling better. Her motor skills have improved and mentally she seems to be in a better place. She is scheduled for another round of chemo on Wednesday.

Prayer Service

I would like to thank Angela's cousin, Father John Carville, for leading a prayer service Sunday for Angela's family and a few close friends. We held the service outside in the yard and the weather was absolutely beautiful. Father Carville gave Angela the "Anointing of the Sick" and Communion. This was just the spiritual and emotional boost she needed. His words and the service gave us all great comfort. Again thanks for your posts, prayers and support .... it what keeps her going!

Very Tough Week

It has been a very hard week since our return from Duke, both mentally and physically for Angela. Without going into lots of details, unfortunately the MRI from the 18th was misread by the local radiologist reviewing it. There was new tumor growth, the tumor was not stable as reported. To make matters worse, when Duke did their own analysis of the MRI they did see new growth. However the report was put on the wrong desk; and there it sat over the holidays. The bombshell was delivered during our Jan 7th visit to Duke. Angela should have began "Phase II" of her protocol December 20th. This information was never relayed to us or our local oncologist. The double snafu cost us three valuables weeks of time without treating her tumor and an immersurable toll on her spirit. Needless to say it has been a very tough week. To our local Oncologist's credit, Patt Stagg, he acted quickly to get Phase II started this past Wednesday.

Angela does read every post. Her mental state right now is very fragile to say the least. Thanks for all the posts and prayers. Keep'um Coming!

David

Visit to Duke

I wish I could tell you the news was better ... but it wasn't what we wanted to hear. The tumor is back. The tumor apparently did not respond well to the chemo and radiation treatments. It is very hard to write this right now. We're both pretty upset. Thanks and please continue with your thoughts and prayers.