We made it!

August 2-10th

Ron's bone marrow biopsy was taken on August 2nd at U of M, and we had to wait on the results until our return visit August 10. The results again were leukemia-free, so he continues to be in remission! His blood counts continue to be on the low end of normal, so he continues to regain strength, and we anticipate continued progress.

What next? Ron will have monthly blood tests in Coldwater, MI, where our local medical services are, and he will return to U of M in Ann Arbor every 3rd month to see his doctor there. His follow-up tests are for 5 years.

It has been a long haul since he became ill in March, and his hospitalization started on March 31, but we have the best outcome possible after 4 rounds of chemotherapy and 5 hospitalizations. (nearly 50 days in Ann Arbor) We are deprogramming from what has been our routine for over 4 months, and we are looking forward to travel plans that we have made for the fall. In the short term we are enjoying this beautiful summer lake weather. It seems very quiet here with the kids and grandkids returning to their homes. Before heading out to their respective states, they planned a 40 year wedding anniversary party for us. We had a beautiful day for our celebration.

We have been so appreciative of the many gestures of support during Ron's treatments and recovery.

Thanks,

Ron & Jan

July 12-29: Almost there!

Ron continues to recover from his last round of chemo which was July 6-11. He almost made it through all 3 consolidation chemo rounds without a fever. Almost. We were back to U of M for 2 days last week when he spiked a fever during the time his white blood cell count was extremely low. It was a midnight ride in an ambulance, and after IV antibiotics and fluids for two days, he is doing very well again.

Today was the last post-chemo blood test in Coldwater, and although he is still anemic, his counts are high enough for his bone marrow biopsy in Ann Arbor on Monday. He should be getting more energy back each day, and we are in high spirits.

We can't believe that it is almost August! We are sending good wishes and warm thoughts to all of you.

Love, Ron and Jan

Last Round of Chem - July 6-11

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The last round of chemo has begun! Ron had 3 appointments yesterday afternoon, "checked in" to his hospital room in early evening, and the first infusion of chemo started at 9:00 P.M. Niccole arrived in the evening and spent the night with me.

The doctor's consultation and first round of chemo have gone very well, and we are very optimisitic that Ron's treatments will ensure permanent remission. He will have another bone marrow biopsy August 2.

He is now receiving the 2nd infusion from 9-12:00 this morning. Then he has a day off. By having the alternate days of chemo, Ron can rest in my room in the afternoons. It is hard to sleep well in the hospital room!

Thanks for your continued support and good wishes sent our way.

Jan

June 30, 2010

One more round of chemotherapy to go!! We are now enjoying days of nice weather and feeling well. Ron had his last transfusions on Monday, June 21; then his blood counts returned to a satisfactory level. Today he has been washing windows, yesterday he mowed part of the yard, and we are enjoying pontoon rides on the lake. (sounds pretty normal to me!) Ron and our daughter, Niccole, have been riding bikes around the lake each morning.

We have enjoyed having our kids in the area more. It is fun seeing the grandchildren, and the kids have done some cooking for us and other yardwork and housework. Today we are celebrating our oldest grandchild's 9th birthday; this weekend we will potluck with relatives, and start to organize for our return to the University of Michigan Hospital next week Tuesday-Sunday. (July 6-11)

Ron received a booklet-style get well message from his high school classmates. It had individual greetings and there were pictures compiled from his school days. How awesome is that!? We continue to hear from friends of years past. It is a boost for both us; we truly appreciate hearing from all of you.

Think of Ron next week and send good thoughts his way. Remember son, Andrew, too who is serving in Iraq.

Sincerely,

Jan Hover

June 18, 2010

Ron's follow up blood tests and transfusions in June have been very similar to May's. It was good knowing the routine at the Coldwater,MI Hospital and Cancer Center. Now he is ending the transfusion dependent phase, and his counts should return to normal range soon. That means the last 10 days of June through July 5 should be a period of feeling better and having more energy.... which means that he can help mow the yard!
The kids and grandkids are starting to arrive for their summer visits, so we will have even more help and more fun, of course!
The last round of chemo will be 6 days of inpatient status at the University of Michigan Hospital starting July 6.
Happy Father's Day to the Dads, and have a great 4th of July holiday!
Jan

June 8 Update

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let all of you know that Ron was back at U of M June1-6 as an inpatient at University Hospital. This was a scheduled visit for his 3rd round of chemotherapy; he has one more round in July. He had mostly the same doctors and nurses, and his room was in the same unit of the hospital, so that familiarity was comforting.

For these last 2 (June and July) rounds of chemotherapy I made reservations for a room at the Med Inn which is a hotel right in the hospital. Ron is a light sleeper, and the hospital routine keeps him awake frequently during the night, so each day he was able to leave the floor when treatment was done and rest in my room. I think both of us came home without feeling so totally exhausted this time. Three of Jan's Kenwood school friends visited us at the hospital on Tuesday; Cale, Jess, and kids came on Thursday, and Rick and Tammy visited Friday. We look forward to seeing all of the grandchildren later in the month. Andrew will still be in Iraq, but all of the others will be in the area. Niccole and Cole are planning to stay with us an extended period of time, so I am working on a list of chores for Cole.

The chemo continues to work as intended, so we head for the Cancer Center in Coldwater early tomorrow for bloodwork and most likely transfusions. This period of time is called "transfusion dependent" and lasts 7-10 days. This is the time when Ron's immunity is very low, so we cannot have visitors at home, and he wears a mask when we are out for doctor's appointments. This period of time is the most emotional and stressful for us, but we are okay; we know that he will feel good again the last week in June and July 1-6. We head back to Ann Arbor on July 6th.
Thanks for your expressions of support, prayers, and good thoughts streaming our way.

Love,
Jan

June 1 Update

The 2nd round of follow-up chemotherapy started today at U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor. Ron will be an in-patient June 1-6. We will plan to come home on Sunday afternoon. (There will be a 3rd and last round of chemo in July.)

The first 2 weeks that we are home after the chemo are challenging with low immunity and blood counts. This is the period of time where Ron requires blood and platelet transfusions, and risk of infection is a concern.

The last week has been wonderful with Ron feeling the best that he has since early March. The weather could not have been better, and we enjoyed being out on the lake and finishing up some things in the yard.

Just wanted to keep in touch with all of you--Love, Jan

May 23-28

What a beautiful week it has been in Michigan! Ron's blood counts have returned to a level that does not require transfusions, and the summer weather has been glorious. Cale and Jack visited Monday evening and Tuesday, and we finished trimming on the considerable hill that goes down to the lake from our house. We are looking forward to a summery Memorial Day weekend and catching up on a few more things around the yard, gardens, and house before we pack up and leave for University Hospital on Tuesday, June 1. Ron will have his second round of consolidation chemotherapy June 1-6 in Ann Arbor as planned.

May 15 - 22

The phase of treatment for this week involved transfusion support and low counts for white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Infection risk had been high, so Ron could not have visitors until today, Saturday May 22. Now he enters a 10 day period of further (anticipating uneventful) recovery before returning to the U of M on June 1 to cycle through another month with a similar pattern. The last round of chemotherapy will be in July. We are now comfortable with the routine at the Hospital and the Cancer Center in Coldwater, Michigan, where he receives his local treatment when we are home. He had transfusions of platelets on 2 days.
We did go out on the pontoon on Thursday which was such a beautiful warm day...and no doctor visits. Ron finished out the week with 2 units of packed red blood cells at the hospital Friday afternoon; a severe thunderstorm passed through, and the power went out at the hospital, so the last hour he was plugged into a red outlet which is the generator power. We continue to learn!
Have a great weekend! We will enjoy the lake more than ever.
Ron & Jan

May 11-14

Ron and I enjoyed having Niccole here for 4 days over the Mothers Day weekend through Tuesday. On Mothers Day Nic and I had brunch with Ron's brother, wife, and GG (Great Grandma-Ron's mom who is 89). We returned to the hospital, and Ron was discharged that afternoon. Cale and Jack came for the night and day on Tuesday-Wednesday. We were so glad to have Cale's help when the pontoon was delivered from winter storage. 3 year old Jack is just the best "cheerer upper" for Ron.

Both Wednesday's and Friday's early morning blood draws indicated that Ron need blood transfusions, so we are in the learning curve for having that done at the Cancer Center in Coldwater during its hours or the hospital after hours. He had 2 units of blood at the Cancer Center on Thursday and 2 units at the hospital on Friday. We returned home about 10:00 last night. The transfusions are expected; as one nurse put it "He had a double whammy with the leukemia making his bone marrow sick, and then the chemo also makes it sick, so he will not produce his own blood adequately for awhile."

The effects of the first round of consolidation chemotherapy are at the strongest now, so his blood counts are low. We will not be able to have visitors at least over the weekend. On Monday we will see his local oncology doctor at the Coldwater Cancer Center. An uneventful weekend will be wonderful!

Thanks for your continued expressions of support. We are so appreciative.
Ron & Jan

May 10

My Mom and Dad are back at Gilead Lake as of last night. I know that they are glad to be home again. They'll be travelling to the hospital in Coldwater periodically for bloodwork and monitoring. I'm planning a visit this week, probably Wednesday.

-Cale

May 4 - 5 - 6

We have returned to University of Michigan Hospital for Ron's first round of consolidation chemotherapy. This is the first of 3 rounds of follow-up chemo. His bone marrow biopsy last Thursday again showed no leukemia cells, but this additional chemo will greatly improve the odds for a permanent remission. Of course, we are going for the cure! We are back in the same unit and have the same medical staff which we cannot say enough good things about. Ron will get to go home on Sunday afternoon; the 2nd round of chemo will be in June and the 3rd round in July. We are looking forward to Niccole coming for a 4 day weekend with us. Jan had a great evening and morning in Bowling Green with Lisa, Abby, and Cale's family.

-Jan

May 4 Update

My mom and dad are back at U of M as of today to start the first round of consolidation chemotherapy. The most recent bone marrow test (from Thursday) again showed no evidence of leukemia cells.

Treatment starts tonight; my dad will likely be released on Sunday. This will be followed by two more rounds of consolidation chemotherapy over the next couple of months.

Jan's Update: April 24 -29

Ron and I have enjoyed our days home at the lake. Spring is in full swing, and a visit by 4 of the grandchildren (ages 1, 2, 3, and 5) was a special dose of good medicine. Cale, Jessica, and Lisa helped with jobs in the house and yard. Everyone was so busy; Ron and I both had to take a nap when they started back to Bowling Green. ...so much fun for us. The little ones always make us laugh and put things in perspective.During the week we also made trips to Coldwater for Ron to have blood tests and meet his local oncology doctor.

On Thursday we traveled back to Ann Arbor to visit U of M Cancer Center when Ron had appointments for a blood draw and bone marrow biopsy. Tuesday, May 4, is our return date to University Hospital where Ron will be admitted for his next round of chemotherapy. He will be hospitalized 5-6 days. His blood counts have mostly recovered to normal ranges. Yeah!Thanks for your many expressions of support.

Check out Cale's message on the following link if you have not done so.

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/chover

Enjoy the day,Love, Jan

Please Consider Making a Donation to American Cancer Society

I'm participating in American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event on May 21 in Bowling Green. This is an event that I've been involved with for several years now, but it is taking on added meaning this year for obvious reasons.

For more information, or to make a donation, check out my Relay Page:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/chover

Thanks!
-Cale

Ron's Home!

Thursday and Friday were very busy days for us. Ron's counts continued to rise which meant a quick recovery from the chemotherapy, so his time to remain in the hospital was shortening quickly too. I had decided to go home Thursday evening to check the homefront, and then when Ron called after his last check by the doctor for the day, he told me that he would likely be coming home on the weekend because he had told them that I could give him his shots. (That was news to me!) I didn't want to miss rounds on Friday morning, so I returned to the hospital at 7 A.M. After all final checks and my opportunity to give him an injection, we were into the discharge procedures, picking up medications, and loading the Explorer. We rolled out at 5:00 and were both back to Gilead Lake by 7:30. I cannot even put into words how good it is to have Ron home again.

Ron has an oncology doctor in Coldwater (about 30 minute drive) and he will have blood tests M-W-F. They fax results back to U of M Hospital, and in about 2-3 weeks he will go back for another bone marrow biopsy and then the first of 3 more rounds of chemotherapy. He will have approximately 3 week intervals between chemotherapy sessions. Overall, Ron continues to feel good, and we are just enjoying our time at home. Our spirits are truly lifted by the many expressions of support that we have received.
Thank you so much,
Ron and Jan

http://ronhover.blogspot.com
Ron Hover
743 Gilead Shores Drive
Bronson, MI
49028

Address Change

My dad may get to go home as soon as next Tuesday, so if you're planning on sending him mail, it can go to his home address:

743 Gilead Shores Dr
Bronson, MI 49028-8736

-Cale

Jan's Update - 4/21

We continue to feel so happy that Ron's last bone marrow biopsy indicated that he is cancer free. Now he is recuperating from the chemotherapy and will be able to go home when his blood counts stay in a normal range without interventions. He is receiving injections of neupogen which boost the immune system. He had a transfusion of platelets today and will remain on the IV antibiotics. We anticipate about one more week in the hospital.

Ron will have follow-up blood tests 3 times a week at our home hospital. It will be approximately 3 weeks into May when he returns to U of M for more chemo. This cycle of chemo followed by a period of time at home will probably occur for 3 months.

We are so anxious to get home and be moving on to this second stage of treatment called consolidation chemotherapy. Ron is feeling good and enjoying several hours a day unhooked from the IV pole. We can sit outside or move around to more areas of the hospital. This complex is HUGE! Our favorite inside area is the Atrium, an inside garden with a little waterfall, pond, bamboo trees, and many other small trees and plants. It is a huge solarium. Peaceful.

Great News - More Details

Friday's bone marrow biopsy came back as leukemia FREE! Now we have about 2 more weeks here to build back Ron's immunity, so he can go home. We are still hoping for May 1. Ron will have chemotherapy after his release from the hospital. That will involve periodic visits back to the U of M. There will be more details on his next stage of treatment tomorrow and in the following days. This "insurance chemo" will take care of stray cells if there are any. At this point they have started injections of neupogen which will boost his immunity system.We are celebrating with ice cream!

Love, Jan

Text message from my mom just moments ago: "Biopsy was leukemia FREE!!! 2 weeks to build up his counts. then HOME!!"

Sunday Update

My family and I had a very nice visit with my Mom and Dad yesterday (Sunday, 4/18). We were totally surprised that my dad was on the lower level of the hospital to greet us! My mom can periodically take him out of the hospital room in a wheel chair as long as he wears a mask. He was able to hang out in my mom's room in the Med Inn that is attached to the hospital and spend some time around the kids. They seemed really glad to see their grandpa -- it was a nice surprise. I'm not sure Jack (age 3) was convinced it was really him until he took down his mask for a second to give him a peek of his face. Jack's look of recognition was priceless!

Later in the day we went out to eat with my mom in downtown Ann Arbor with a friend of ours that lives there. My mom hadn't really seen the downtown area much (she's been pretty much living at the hospital), so that was good.

We're hoping for good news today or tomorrow from the current round of tests. Then we'll better know what to expect next.

April 17

Happy weekend to all of you. Friday was a bit more of an eventful day. Ron had his 2nd bone marrow biopsy today, and we will have the results next week. 70% of patients with the same chemo and leukemia are in remission at this point.

His spirits are still high, and we are anxious to know test results next week, so we know what the next stage of his treatment will be. (and most of all: when we can go home) We continue to hope for May 1.

Overall, side effects of his chemo have been manageable and mostly minor. He has no more nosebleeds. His appetite has improved, but many foods taste "metallic". His sore throat continues to bother him but pain medication keeps him comfortable and helps him sleep.

I am in the Med Inn for 3 nights over the weekend. I will go there 12-7 A.M. approximately. We are looking forward to Cale's Gang coming Sunday. Andrew's flight to Kuwait is delayed because of the volcanic eruption. (ash in the atmosphere) He thinks it will probably go this weekend.

Ron will have platelets and 2 units of blood today (Saturday); this is "normal" during this stage of treatment.

-Jan

April 14 - 15 Update

We do have good news; it is unlikely that Ron will need a bone marrow transplant. Chemotherapy is/will be the type of treatment needed for his type of leukemia. We will know more specifics by next week. At this point he is doing very well, just having to deal with some nosebleeds (of the dripping type, not gushing).

We are still hoping for a return home on May 1, one month after Ron was admitted to University Hospital here at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Thanks for all of the kind wishes, good thoughts, and prayers that have streamed our way.

Sincerely, Jan

Jan's Update - April 13

Ron has not had much in the way of chemotherapy side effects except being tired and periodic fever of 101-102. They continue to check him for rashes, swelling, abdominal pain, but none of these have occurred, and he has not been nauseous but does not have much of an appetite.

He is eating better though and taking more fluids just by drinking more. He had a "real Pepsi" last night...first one in several weeks.Overall, we have had 2 really good days. He has not had a fever for over 24 hours now and has had 2 consecutive good nights of sleep.

He is still taking pain medication for the pain caused by the bleeding abscess in his throat. He has platelets and units of blood on the schedule today. We do feel like we have passed through the first phase, first crisis, and are in a holding pattern until results of genetic testing and the next blood marrow biopsy are in.

Then we will know what is next; this will happen about Monday-Tuesday. I am returning home to Gilead Lake today and will spend the night organizing bills, other mail, washing clothes, checking on the cats, etc., returning to Ann Arbor about 4:00 tomorrow.

Love, Jan

Jan's Update - April 11

Hello Family and Friends,We are watching the last round of the Masters, reading the Sunday paper, and snacking; that sounds like a pretty typical Sunday afternoon for us. We had both napped too after Andy, Lisa, and Abby left. When we ate lunch in the hospital cafe, Abby (almost 3 years) said, "Oh, no, this is not yummy in my tummy."

Ron finished his last IV of chemotherapy last night around 10:00, so that was a good milestone. He had a stubborn fever yesterday, lasting from 4 PM until late morning today; that was worrisome for us because of the infection in his throat that had caused the pain and swelling. We were fearful of those symptoms returning but it was not so dramatic this time. He had platelets and 2 units of blood today. Now the fever is gone, and he has started to eat a little soft food again.

The next step is the second bone marrow biopsy on Friday, hearing the results of the genetic testing of the leukemia cells, so the next step of treatment can be determined. Our best case scenario is 2+ weeks of recovery in the hospital, discharge about May 1, and out patient chemotherapy for a few weeks. We tentatively plan to return to Ann Arbor for the out patient chemo sessions.

It was hard saying good-by to Andy today; he is deploying to Iraq after next week at Ft. Benning. He should be home by October. For those of you that don't know, there is a 30 room hotel right here in the hospital, and I have been able to stay there part of the nights and get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Matt's family and Niccole's families have returned home. Lisa and Abby will be with her parents for awhile. Cale's family lives about 75 minutes away from the hospital. I plan to return home one night a week to gather mail and check the homefront. My drive home is a little over 2 hours. We are so grateful for so many family members being able to visit us at the hospital during our first 11 days here. Ron could see the grandchildren playing in the courtyard from his 8th floor window, and they provided me with several funny stories to tell Ron. There is a sandy area with a small playground and amazing playhouse for kids. Thanks, too, for emails, the blog, prayers, cards, etc.

Visitors are very limited now due to Ron's compromised immune system. Andy and Cale hooked up a new printer in Ron's room, so I have been printing out paper copies of emails for him.

Love to all, Jan

Jan's Update - April 8 - 9

Things have gotten better again! Ron still has some neck swelling and a very sore throat, and he has a fever at times, but it responds well to ice packs and tylenol. Andy's wife, Lisa, and daughter Abby are in the area now, traveling in from Savannah, GA. Matt's family has traveled in from Adams, TN near Ft. Campbell, KY. Cale's family will be coming up from BG, OH. Niccole and her family are heading home to VA. I have a hotel room here in the hospital; WiFi is good too. I have a new netbook computer that I am using, and we are working on a printer, so I can make paper copies of the messages to Ron. I am looking forward to a good day and seeing more family today.

Here is a picture from the courtyard that Dad's room overlooks.

FYI about Visits

Several people have inquired about visiting Dad. The doctors have recommended that visitors be kept to a minimum until his immune system has recovered from the chemotherapy. I think they'd like to limit visits to immediate family members.

However, cards, letters, blog comments, and texts are all much appreciated. I know all of the support that my dad is getting is really helping.

Friday, April 9 Update

I visited my dad today. He seems to have rebounded a bit from his bad day on Wednesday. It appears that the infection that he had is clearing up.

Wednesday, April 7 Update

We have had a very rough day; the most difficult day following the best day; that was so unexpected. Ron had developed an infection that made him very uncomfortable with swelling and soreness in his neck and throat. it is controlled now with super antibiotics and pain medication. He is sleeping pretty well tonight. It was great having son Andrew with us for this day; he is an RN specializing in O.R. nursing. He helped with asking questions and furthur explaining medical jargon. He will deploy to Iraq in about a week.
Ron's address is below if you want to drop a note to him. He likes sports clippings from the newspaper...just an idea.


Ron Hover
1500 E. Medical Dr.
8B Room 138
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5112

-Jan

Tuesday, April 6 Update

Ron had an even better day; Griffiths, Cale and Jess, and Andrew visited. He could see Joey, jack, and allison playing down in the courtyard. The preliminary chromosome tests from the bone marrow biopsy showed leukemia that is less likely to cause a relapse after treatment. It was such good news! He was given 2 ambien last night and slept very well. Tonight I am staying in the Holiday Inn with Andy. A bath sounds delightful; there are places to shower in the hospital.

Ron does not have nausea or other side effects except for a little bleeding from the nose. He is in a private room now because his immunity system is compromised by the chemo.

We have our highs from the adrenaline rushes and our lows but feel we are normal in how we are accepting our new circumstances. We can not say enough about the professionalism and quality of care of the University of Michigan Hospital. We look at each other and say "Go Blue!" and just cannot believe that we are uttering those words.

Love to all of you; I need to get a good night's sleep. Andy and I will both be in the room tomorrow for rounds by Ron's medical team.
Love, MOM/ Jan

Message from Jan

Mail would be a boost for Ron. If you have a chance, drop him a line. He is not feeling quite as well today as the last 2 days. Andy is here with me; great having the family RN here!

Initial Post

I've set up this page for anyone who wants to get updates on my dad's treatment. Here's what we know at this point:

The diagnosis is Acute Monocytic Leukemia, which is also classified as Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Subtype M5. American Cancer Society’s webpage (cancer.org) has some good information if you want to check it out.

Dad’s going to be at UM Medical Center for at least a month. This is day 5 of 7 for intravenous chemotherapy. So far he hasn't any terrible side effects yet. He seemed to be feeling better and looked a lot better to me when I saw him yesterday compared to when I visited two days prior.

My sister, Niccole, and her family have been visiting daily. My brother, Andy, was able to delay his deployment to Iraq for a week to visit also. He is a nurse, so we are glad to have him here to answer our questions. Andy's wife, Lisa, and their daughter, Abby, are traveling on Thursday to visit, also. My other brother, Matt, and his family will be up to visit by the end of the week, too.

My dad is in a private room now and they have to take some precautions because the chemo weakens his immune system. After the seven days of intensive chemo they’ll monitor him constantly. Success in this phase of the treatment would mean that they don’t see cancer cells in his blood marrow or blood work two weeks after the chemo starts. At that point, the cancer can still come back, so they will do follow up chemo treatments to prevent this. The exact treatment is going to depend on how he responds and the further testing that they’re doing right now.

My mom seems to be doing ok. It has been an information overload, and it all happened very fast. We appreciate all of the calls and concern that everyone has shown. Feel free to pass this information on to anyone who might want to see it.