Home Sweet Home

Released from MKE
This past week, we were able to move back to GB finally. While we make fun of GB regularily it has been a great place to raise a family and is still our home. As the saying goes, "There is no place like home!" My blood counts and overall condition allowed me to get back to local care here with Beth by my side and my local Oncologist. We are working towards restarting life again one day at a time.

Recipe Warriors
I'd like to thank all the recipe contributors...I'll be trying them all over time and appreciate everyone's efforts in expanding my cooking horizons.

Robb's Pasta Error
In rereading my posted recipe I found an error that must be corrected. Work into sauce Heavy Cream, not Heavy Whipping Cream (nasty).

Medical Fun
On our first post hospital release visit to my main Dr. at Froedtert, there was some concern over a current "condition" that they believed could potentially be a C-Diff infection. If tests proved positive it would lead to an immediate entry back into the hospital for treatment.

I asked what C-Diff was and they said it was a hospital borne infection (meaning you got it from being in the hospital). With my ever growing confidence in dealing head on with the medical profession I said..."So you are telling me you would want to bring me back to the hospital for treatment of an infection I got because I was in your hospital!?" Dr. replied, "Yeah it does kinda sound counter intuitive doesn't it?"

I assured myself, there was no way I had C-Diff, and there was no way I was going back into the hospital if I did have C-Diff. Period. Tests proved negative so all is good...but you have to remain vigilant in directing your care.

Looking Forward
I'm looking forward each week to improved stamina and condition...it's a process and time frame that is very challenging for me. I'm used to making things happen and running multiple projects, etc. so mentally this has been a big challenge. You tend to take all you have for granted, and forget we are gifted with abilities. Until you lose them, you don't really realize all you have.

We'll probably post one or two more updates, then close the blog within a few weeks. Our life isn't that interesting nor do we intend to make it so public. In any event, we certainly appreciate all your support and feedback throughout this process.

Take care,
Robb

Escaped from the hospital

The good news, Robb is officially out of the hospital!!!!!
We are still staying in the Milwaukee are for 1-2 weeks depending on how
things go. The counts on yesterday looked good, his stem cells are
cranking on their own and starting to multiply. His appetite is getting
better, that was his biggest encounter during the hospital stay, along with
nausea and some upchucking (thought you would all want to know that).
He lost 12 pounds in the process. My job now is to get him to eat and drink!
I can tell he is feeling a little better everyday! Like his last t-shirt said, the
day he left the hospital "Praise the Lord!"
I will try and get him on the blog soon for some good laughs for all!
Take care and thank-you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!!!
Love, Beth

2 Weeks Down and Counting

Robb had made it to day 6 now of his transplant!!!! Yeh!!
His blood counts are just about bottomed out, so he is pretty tired most
of the time. His counts should gradually start coming back up as the
stem cells grow and multiply. It looks like he is right on track.
They have him leaving here if all goes well on March 11. That is much
quicker than we thought. We will still have to stay in Milwaukee for 2 weeks
after that for follow-ups, but getting home sooner than we thought would
be wonderful.
Robb still has his brain cells cooking enough to state " Do to the weak response
for my recipe request I am demanding some replies. I am sick of eating oatmeal!
I need some recipes to try when I get the hell out of here!", but if none of you
putzes supply any recipes this will be difficult to do!"
Comment from Beth : I think he is just a little feisty right now!!
Robb's sister Julie and husband Dave flew in from Alabama on Tuesday
and were able to spend some time with Robb. The kids also were able
to get here and see their dad. It was so nice to have them here.
Take care for now and I will update again soon. Love Beth

Made it thru the first week

Well Robb has finished all of the high-dose chemo.
He had his stem cells infused yesterday and all is going well!!!
I think his brain cells are going down hill just a little! LOL He is
still his cheerful self most of the time, and amazingly
he is still enjoying the hospital food, but I'm sure that
Big Mac is going to sound really really good when he gets
out of here!
Thanks to all who have sent cards and are keeping him in your
prayers, it is working!!!!
Take care, Love Beth

Fun with Consent Forms

A little behind on this posting but I wanted to share the fun with signing consent forms prior to engaging in the official treatment. As you all know our litigious society has a good side and bad side where people can sue someone over spilling hot coffee on themselves and win!? Ridiculous. Then there's the good side of doing the best anyone/organization can do to explain potential issues prior to one making an informed decision on pursuing a treatment such as a stem cell transplant.

I encourage everyone to read the fine print and question everything you don't understand so you have clarity, but don't forget to see the big picture. Why are we doing this in the first place?
Whether it's buying a car, forming a business contract or whatever, make sure what you are paying for and the value it will bring to your life, measure up or don't do it. Don't get caught up in minor percentages.

After reading my consent form and the myriad of likely, potential and occasionally rare side effects of the entire process you could easily go into grid lock. All in my case I have to remind myself of are what are the options?

1. I could ignore all treatment, and let cancer take my life....this would be inevitable.
2. I could travel to New Guinea, seeking out a local Shaman, get my ears pierced with snake skin wrapped arrows tipped with the highly poisonous tree frog (luaguano-pachinko) venom and see what happens.
3. Pursue all natural herbal essence treatments for which unfortunately there is no data or acknowledgement from our medical communities to pursue this route. I would have no problem potentially pursuing this but it's a total crap shoot with no information other than tabloid type publications. The other problem is when cancer is taking your life, it's not like you can hang out researching anything too thoroughly as you need to get on with something because the cancer just keeps growing and doing its thing.
4. Finally, you can sign the consent form with all the backing of data, world-class facilities, staff and so forth realizing you really don't have a good alternative. I must say I'm comfortable with this choice and believe strongly this will knock out my cancer for good. It will no doubt be a journey, but one well worth it.

While this, like almost any facet of receiving care in our health care industry can be cumbersome, awkward and quite stoic...I had to have a little fun with the doctor before I signed it.

First off, after reading all the myriad side effects from chemo such as projectile vomiting, total temporary destruction of your intestinal tract from front to back, spleen explosions, some or all major organ failures, other forms of cancer, I could turn into an African American with brown skin, death and so forth the consent form definitively stated:

"You may experience some, all or none of the side effects listed below; you should discuss these with our doctor."

So, being a good boy I asked my Dr. if I got death as a side effect, could I still have none of the others? Because this would be comforting to know.

He chuckled, then got serious, then confused....apparently he hadn't been asked this before so we moved on but I felt better for asking.

Take care,
Robb

Robb is on his way

Robb is settling in to his new home for 4 weeks. So far things are going ok.
He had a few reactions to his first high dose of chemo, like burning eyeballs!!
Creepy huh, but he powered thru it and is glad he only needed that concoction
the first day. He is currently getting the next regimen which he will get for the
next 4 days. He has had this drug before so hopefully it will all go well.

For those of you interested in mailing something to Robb here is his address:

Froedtert Hospital
BMT Inpatient Unit
Attn: Robb Allen
9200 W. Wisconsin Av.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Take care, Beth

Robb's Pasta

I know what some of you are thinking....has cancer forced Robb to explore his feminine side? Basically I like eating, exploring and combining the two as a new sport. Instead of this blog only being about Beth and my trials, let's have a little fun.

Please send us "your favorite recipe", must be family developed...no Rachel Ray or Betty Crocker in this blog.

Here's my favorite recipe for pasta...invented 10/25/2003, patent still pending.

Robb's Pasta Recipe (It's all about the sauce)
1. Make sauce: (wing it amount....you don't want pasta dripping in sauce, but enough to coat it well)
A. In skillet warm Extra Virgin olive oil to cover bottom thinly, butter slab or two to melted.
B. Cut/crush open 2-3 garlic cloves and toss in to infuse the olive oil then remove after 3-4
minutes.
C. Add healthy amount of Sun Dried Tomato Vinagerette salad dressing to pan.
D. Add two heaping gobs of Apricot Preserves, and melt into deal in pan.
E. Once warmed through, add a splash or two of Heavy Whipping Cream, warm.
F. Add Bangkok spices, or Chinese 5-Spice dashes to pan.
G. When all is well developed....Add a dash of Fresh Expresso Roast Coffee Grounds (finely
ground), by sprinkling just a bit over the top of the sauce....don't go crazy but don't be afraid.
2. Cook pasta while making the sauce...if you can't do this, I can't help you.
3. Cook meat of choice in EVOO while making the sauce and pasta...good with grilled chicken
(season s&p to taste)
4. Warm EVOO, onion, garlic cloves first while doing 1, 2 and 3 above, add veggies of choice,
peppers, shrooms, etc.
5. Combine sauce, pasta and veggies...toss.
6. Enjoy and send comments to the Food Network and this blog.

Thanks, Robb