Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Share Your Stories and Memories about Reb Breinholt
Monday, February 2, 2009
Another cancer free scan!
Reb's CT just came back and it is cancer free! No new growths and no problem areas. They have an appointment with his surgeon on Thursday to get the full report, but everything looks good.
He had another round of chemo this last week, so 2 more to go.
He had another round of chemo this last week, so 2 more to go.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
We're in the homestretch!
Reb now only has 3 treatments left! He had treatment this week, and it was OK. He has been a little sick, but that has become normal. 6 more weeks and we can celebrate!
He started to sprout a little hair, all white. We will be interested to see if it is just because he went a while between treatments or if he is starting to get his hair back!
If things go as planned, in 6 weeks we will be celebrating the end of another long road, and have no complications or problems in the meantime. We will save the celebratory dinner until after he gets his appetite back.
He started to sprout a little hair, all white. We will be interested to see if it is just because he went a while between treatments or if he is starting to get his hair back!
If things go as planned, in 6 weeks we will be celebrating the end of another long road, and have no complications or problems in the meantime. We will save the celebratory dinner until after he gets his appetite back.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Another peice of hardware gone...
Reb has lost another dear friend from chemo. His Hickman Catheter is now gone. Two weeks after the testing for the mysterious infection, the doctors office called and said that they were able to grow bacteria from his blood, and the catheter was the most likely candidate. Now we are trying to figure out how long they have known the catheter was causing the infection, and why they didn't tell us earlier.
When Reb went to an appointment this week, his temperature spiked to 105*. They gave him Tylenol, and the nurse took it again, 103*. They decided to take out the catheter, and now he will either do chemo through an IV, or they will give him a pic line.
He will not have treatment the week of Christmas, which is good and bad. We want him done ASAP, but hopefully he will feel better while celebrating Christmas.
Reb looks forward to seeing everyone at various Christmas parties, and showing off his Mr. Clean do, and various battle scars. We all hope he feels well enough to visit with everyone.
When Reb went to an appointment this week, his temperature spiked to 105*. They gave him Tylenol, and the nurse took it again, 103*. They decided to take out the catheter, and now he will either do chemo through an IV, or they will give him a pic line.
He will not have treatment the week of Christmas, which is good and bad. We want him done ASAP, but hopefully he will feel better while celebrating Christmas.
Reb looks forward to seeing everyone at various Christmas parties, and showing off his Mr. Clean do, and various battle scars. We all hope he feels well enough to visit with everyone.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Reb's back home again. They kept him an extra couple of days in the hospital because his blood pressure was really low. They have pumped him full of fluids and antibiotics and let him come home. All of the tests came back negative, so it was just a bug, or maybe an infection somewhere.
Also, he is sporting an even cleaner looking hair cut. Most of his hair has fallen out now, just a few white whispies remain.
Because of his illness and hospitalization, Reb skipped treatment this week, but will get it next week. So, the fanny pack is back next week.
Also, he is sporting an even cleaner looking hair cut. Most of his hair has fallen out now, just a few white whispies remain.
Because of his illness and hospitalization, Reb skipped treatment this week, but will get it next week. So, the fanny pack is back next week.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
And another trip to the hospital
While Reb was visiting Jill in Portland for Thanksgiving, he ran a fever. The fever would respond to Tylenol, so they waited until Tuesday for his regular doctor's appointment.
At his appointment on Tuesday, they decided that he wasn't well enough for treatment, so they postponed it until next week. He still has a fever, and is having these shaking episodes. They gave him a strong anti-biotic and want to give that time to work.
They did lab tests and things that will come back sometime later today. They decided to admit him to see if they can get him healthy again. So currently he is just resting and getting fluids at LDS hospital, because IMC didn't have any beds available in the cancer ward.
At his appointment on Tuesday, they decided that he wasn't well enough for treatment, so they postponed it until next week. He still has a fever, and is having these shaking episodes. They gave him a strong anti-biotic and want to give that time to work.
They did lab tests and things that will come back sometime later today. They decided to admit him to see if they can get him healthy again. So currently he is just resting and getting fluids at LDS hospital, because IMC didn't have any beds available in the cancer ward.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Oh yeah, the fanny pack is back!
After a few long days in the hospital, Reb was able to come home. They decided it was a reaction to the pill form of the chemo he was receiving. They were able to stabilize him and send him home.
At his doctor's appointment, they decided to put in a Hickman Catheter. It is a catheter that goes in his chest, about where his port was. They used an ultrasound to place it into his artery, and now they hook the drugs up there. It is a small pain, the tubing extends a foot or more, but nothing compared to what a pain the colostomy bag was! This is a walk in the park.
He had his first treatment with the catheter, and all went well. He was even feeling well enough to take up his brother Wally's gracious offer to go to the U of U v. BYU game. He was going to go, come hell or high water, and the Utes put on a show for him. What a great game, and we are so thankful to Wally's family for allowing him the opportunity to go. He came home frozen solid, and a little tired, but with a huge smile on his face and stories to tell.
Reb is even feeling well enough to travel to Portland, Oregon to visit Jill for Thanksgiving. They have been having a wonderful time. After they get back, he is scheduled for more chemo. We are inching closer to the half-way point. He is feeling well, just a little tired and cold. His appetite is a little off, but that is to be expected.
Go Utes! and Go Reb!
At his doctor's appointment, they decided to put in a Hickman Catheter. It is a catheter that goes in his chest, about where his port was. They used an ultrasound to place it into his artery, and now they hook the drugs up there. It is a small pain, the tubing extends a foot or more, but nothing compared to what a pain the colostomy bag was! This is a walk in the park.
He had his first treatment with the catheter, and all went well. He was even feeling well enough to take up his brother Wally's gracious offer to go to the U of U v. BYU game. He was going to go, come hell or high water, and the Utes put on a show for him. What a great game, and we are so thankful to Wally's family for allowing him the opportunity to go. He came home frozen solid, and a little tired, but with a huge smile on his face and stories to tell.
Reb is even feeling well enough to travel to Portland, Oregon to visit Jill for Thanksgiving. They have been having a wonderful time. After they get back, he is scheduled for more chemo. We are inching closer to the half-way point. He is feeling well, just a little tired and cold. His appetite is a little off, but that is to be expected.
Go Utes! and Go Reb!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Happy Birthday Reb (in the hospital)
Reb is spending the next few days at Intermountain Medical Center. He has been feeling really sick this week. He has had terrible nausea and diarrhea, and hasn't kept anything down since Monday. Nancy and Elsie were sick too, so we thought it might be a bug, but at the doctor's appointment today, they said it was a reaction to the chemo pills. They decided to admit him to IMC for fluids, recovery and observation.
This couldn't have happened on a worse day. It is Reb's birthday, but also the Utes are playing TCU at home, and his brother Wally (they share the birthday) had tickets for him to go. As much as it hurt, Reb had to cancel, and head to the hospital. What made it even more painful was the fact that the game wasn't on ordinary TV, or even cable, but it was on an expanded basic package, so the hospital wouldn't have it on TV. As I left the hospital tonight, he had his little headphones on listening intently to the game.
The best birthday present, however, came from his doctor. The scan last week came back totally cancer-free. There was no cancer on the liver or the lungs (the most likely place it would spread to). He can now just focus on finishing up chemo, and returning back to normal life.
I don't have a phone number for him at the hospital, but I know he has his cell phone with him, and he is at the south Patient Tower, room 824.
We look forward to having him back home. Happy Birthday Dad!
This couldn't have happened on a worse day. It is Reb's birthday, but also the Utes are playing TCU at home, and his brother Wally (they share the birthday) had tickets for him to go. As much as it hurt, Reb had to cancel, and head to the hospital. What made it even more painful was the fact that the game wasn't on ordinary TV, or even cable, but it was on an expanded basic package, so the hospital wouldn't have it on TV. As I left the hospital tonight, he had his little headphones on listening intently to the game.
The best birthday present, however, came from his doctor. The scan last week came back totally cancer-free. There was no cancer on the liver or the lungs (the most likely place it would spread to). He can now just focus on finishing up chemo, and returning back to normal life.
I don't have a phone number for him at the hospital, but I know he has his cell phone with him, and he is at the south Patient Tower, room 824.
We look forward to having him back home. Happy Birthday Dad!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Possibly happy news?
There was a development yesterday on the Reb front.
He went in yesterday for his standard round of chemo, and to get his just-this-shy-from-cool fanny pack, and the P.A. checking his port said it looked like it had been compromised. Essentially, a part of the port that was supposed to be inside was now outside. This can open his chest up for infections. After calling Dr. Whisenant, they decided to pull the port out, before giving him a round of chemo.
Although this can sound scary, there are at least 3 positive things coming out of this:
1- Reb gets a week off of chemo, and maybe can build up a little strength before getting it zapped again.
2-The medicine that they are giving him has now been approved and made available in pill form. So he may get to leave the fanny pack behind for good! Also, he may get to skip out on another port.
3- The antibiotics they gave him to fight any infection that he may see from the port will now also kick the cough he has been having and unable to shake for the past 2 weeks.
Reb believes strongly in the power of prayer, and appreciates all the prayers offered up in his behalf. He is going to have a scan on Halloween, October 31st to make sure this cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. He would appreciate all the prayers you can offer. We hope to have a clean scan, and be done with this business after his latest round of chemo.
He went in yesterday for his standard round of chemo, and to get his just-this-shy-from-cool fanny pack, and the P.A. checking his port said it looked like it had been compromised. Essentially, a part of the port that was supposed to be inside was now outside. This can open his chest up for infections. After calling Dr. Whisenant, they decided to pull the port out, before giving him a round of chemo.
Although this can sound scary, there are at least 3 positive things coming out of this:
1- Reb gets a week off of chemo, and maybe can build up a little strength before getting it zapped again.
2-The medicine that they are giving him has now been approved and made available in pill form. So he may get to leave the fanny pack behind for good! Also, he may get to skip out on another port.
3- The antibiotics they gave him to fight any infection that he may see from the port will now also kick the cough he has been having and unable to shake for the past 2 weeks.
Reb believes strongly in the power of prayer, and appreciates all the prayers offered up in his behalf. He is going to have a scan on Halloween, October 31st to make sure this cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. He would appreciate all the prayers you can offer. We hope to have a clean scan, and be done with this business after his latest round of chemo.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean
After years of sporting the balding, but not bald look, Reb has decided to take his hair in a new direction. Chemo has thinned his hair quite a bit, all of the black hair fell out first, leaving his white poofy hair, and then that has started to fall out too.
Here is an update in his own words from the Breinholt family newsletter: (some things have been changed, or corrected)
For me, this week is my third of twelve Chemo treatments. Things seem to be going well. We have had some good visits with the doctors. We are doing some different drugs and in a little different sequence than before – there has a lot of new medical knowledge even over the last 2 years since my previous treatments. Anyhow, some of the side effects of the Chemo will be minimized, but some things are the same or new. For example the Doctor told me there is a 1/3 chance that I will lose my hair, a 1/3 chance that my hair will thin, and 1/3 chance that my hair will stay. Judging from the hair in the drain in the last few days, it looks like it is going to be gate 1 or 2. I have started cutting out pictures of Yul Brynner to show the barber how to cut my hair. Oh well, the doctor told me that my liver should be 100% of the pre-surgery size, and my sutures have healed well enough that I can ride my bike again – so life is good.
We were a little worried he might not be able to get treatment this week, his white blood cell count has been low, but it rebounded enough for chemo on Tuesday, and he carries around his little fanny pack until Thursday. For those of you that missed the fanny pack last time, he wears a little fanny pack around, with all the chemicals and drugs in it and they pump into his body through a port. He basically gets 48 hours straight of chemo every other week, instead of every day for a month or more. We are waiting for the day we can go on a trip with him and his fanny pack to see if he, in fact, wears his fanny pack IN a fanny pack.
Reb's energy level is also getting better. He has been able to get back on the trampoline with the very excited grandkids. They are happy to be able to jump and throw apples in the back yard again.
Here is an update in his own words from the Breinholt family newsletter: (some things have been changed, or corrected)
For me, this week is my third of twelve Chemo treatments. Things seem to be going well. We have had some good visits with the doctors. We are doing some different drugs and in a little different sequence than before – there has a lot of new medical knowledge even over the last 2 years since my previous treatments. Anyhow, some of the side effects of the Chemo will be minimized, but some things are the same or new. For example the Doctor told me there is a 1/3 chance that I will lose my hair, a 1/3 chance that my hair will thin, and 1/3 chance that my hair will stay. Judging from the hair in the drain in the last few days, it looks like it is going to be gate 1 or 2. I have started cutting out pictures of Yul Brynner to show the barber how to cut my hair. Oh well, the doctor told me that my liver should be 100% of the pre-surgery size, and my sutures have healed well enough that I can ride my bike again – so life is good.
We were a little worried he might not be able to get treatment this week, his white blood cell count has been low, but it rebounded enough for chemo on Tuesday, and he carries around his little fanny pack until Thursday. For those of you that missed the fanny pack last time, he wears a little fanny pack around, with all the chemicals and drugs in it and they pump into his body through a port. He basically gets 48 hours straight of chemo every other week, instead of every day for a month or more. We are waiting for the day we can go on a trip with him and his fanny pack to see if he, in fact, wears his fanny pack IN a fanny pack.
Reb's energy level is also getting better. He has been able to get back on the trampoline with the very excited grandkids. They are happy to be able to jump and throw apples in the back yard again.
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