Family Picture & Another Grim Update

On Hayley’s birthday, we met with my friend, Coleen, at the Broadmoor and had a family photo session. We did a few holiday ones and a few neutral ones. Melayna was a pain in the butt nearly the entire time, but we still ended up with a few good shots. Coleen was so patient and I love how talented she is. Her website is here and if you’re in Colorado, please consider her for your photography needs: http://www.tenaciousphoto.com/ (If you check out her portraits section, there is a cake smashing picture with an infant in a pink cloth diaper. That’s Melayna on her first birthday!)

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We don’t know how much time Scott will have and this session was likely our last family photo together.

So, yesterday, we received another update on Scott. First off, he’s been throwing up nearly everyday. I last posted that he threw up a bunch the day before the football game and then the day of the game. Well, he three up before chemo. So instead of chemo, they opted to hydrate him and administer zofran and decadron. Scott also hasn’t been eating as much as he used to, just saying he isn’t all that hungry. I had reported over the weekend to Scott’s oncologist about the new symptoms and she ordered him an MRI. Scott did his MRI yesterday and it took 3 hours! He got anxious about halfway through and they asked me to sit in the MRI room with him. I rubbed his leg and foot while he was getting scanned. Even with earplugs, the machine was really loud.

Well, last night we got a call from his oncologist. She called pretty late, too. There are more tumors that have grown in his brain. Two new tumors. She needs to talk with her colleagues to see if there are other options available. But it isn’t good. His doctor thanked me for voicing my concerns and being so astute with my observations. I really just hate that my gut feeling was right. Scott is just beside himself. This completely sucks. He asked me to lay with him for a bit. We cried together, something we’ve done many times before. I really don’t know how much more I can take. Our adventures might be coming to a close much sooner than we’d like.

I started a cancer album a while back. There are a few images I captured since starting it.

 

Time to say Happy New Year! We left our friends party early because Scott was getting tired. We’re going to toast with some sparkling cider and then call it a night.

Happy New Year from the Hooper's!

Christmas & Another Bucket List Item

Christmas was abundant and joyful. It was productive for me (I spent hours cleaning). The kids all had fun. Scott slept through most of Christmas day. In fact, he slept through all the kids making noise and through his 3:00pm medication alarm (I heard it going off while I was downstairs cleaning). We had yummy breakfast and enjoyed the day with my dad, Gloria, and Kate. Another weird thing happened on Christmas, too. Scott seemed to have forgotten who he got his Monopoly game from (Melayna picked it out and I even took a picture of the two of them together after he opened it). Then not too long after he asked me who gave him the game, he asked me again. I’m a little concerned over this, but I’ll check with his doctor next week.

     

 

This weekend we went to Build-A-Bear. Scott picked out a bear for each kid and recorded his voice saying “I love you” to each of the kids. Each of them walked away with a bear just for them with daddy’s voice. Something they’ll be able to keep long after he’s gone.

Today, Scott went to a Raiders & Broncos game with my dad. Jack, our friend who drove us in a limo to Transiberian Orchestra, drove Scott and my dad to the game. They had club level tickets and pre-game on field passes! While I wish I could have gone with him, I was excited he got to go with my dad. Scott had an amazing time despite getting sick this morning. He even got a football from one of the Raiders coaches. Too bad he couldn’t get autographs.

 

The only downside to this past weekend, was Scott’s fatigue continued and he was also getting sick and throwing up. I messaged his doctor with all the new symptoms and she opted to have him get an MRI done this week. I’m scared that things might be looking to go downhill. I have this weird feeling. We won’t know until later this week, though.

Another birthday & a cancer update

Hayley turned 13 today. We officially have a teenager in the house. I’m not quite sure how to feel about that. Just like Tristan, we didn’t do a birthday party because of Disney World. Instead, I took her out, just her and me, to Painting with a Twist. She was quite happy to get her painting on.

 

Now, for an update on how Scott has been doing.  Scott was scheduled to do chemotherapy this past week. He asked his doctor to lower the dose for this week’s chemo since he had such a rough time with it last time. He nearly opted out of doing it, too. Unfortunately, he went in for his blood work the day before chemo was scheduled to start and his counts were low. His platelets and white blood cells were just too low. They think it could be residual effects from radiation. Besides, we’re still recovering from the Disney trip. They redid his blood work Friday hoping to do chemo this week (yes, Christmas week), but not only are his counts still low, but some counts dropped and now red blood cells dropped as well. It is a mixed blessing. We don’t have to worry about Scott being sick for Christmas and the upcoming football game. Other than low counts, Scott seems to be doing well. He tires easily and naps a lot. He isn’t complaining about any back pain now that we have him on morphine twice a day. He did very well during the trip and endured some very long days. His biggest complaint during the trip was being cold once the sun went down. So, hopefully, we have a quiet, fairly uneventful Christmas surrounded by family. Speaking of which, we are received gifts this week from two different sets of people – a stranger, I’ve never met before – and from a gentleman who adopted our family through the Castle Rock Police Department. Our kids will definitely have a very memorable Christmas this year. I am touched by the kindness of strangers. How much they care about our little family. Friends, family, and strangers have all come to our aid. Helping with Scott’s bucket list, bringing joy to him and the kids, and just being there for our family. It is amazing!

Happy Birthday Bubba Man

Tristan turned 9 today! I can’t believe it. Another year and he’ll be a decade old. Our bubba man wanted to eat at HuHot for dinner.

After dinner, we went to our friends’ house where we surprised another friend for her birthday. My friend, Dani, shares the same birthday as Tristan! So, of course, we hung out, sung happy birthday, had dessert, and played some games.

We didn’t have a party because of the Disney trip, but he had a good birthday nonetheless.

Disney Trip complete…

And now we’re home, with a week of birthdays and Christmas coming up. Oh my goodness!

I don’t want to post too many pictures here, but I can link my pictures to my Facebook account if you want to see all of them. All I have to say is wow! Disney World is amazing! Expensive, but amazing!

Day One: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950409873000.1073741874.731167999&type=1&l=4bbcecd53d

Our first day there, we went to dinner at Hollywood Studios in Downtown Disney. We walked around a bit that evening and found ourselves back at the hotel turning in early to start the next day off right at the Magic Kingdom. I had a surprise waiting for them when we got back, too!

Day Two: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950439268000&type=1&l=9a860184d9

We had a drizzly day in the Magic Kingdom and a family issue that came up, but otherwise, the best part was meeting this wonderful family from the UK. Julian and Kate were waiting in line behind us to see Anna and Elsa (which was two hours, by the way!). Scott, in his scooter, struck up a conversation with them. Of course, being his normal charismatic self, he managed to make quite the impression. Later that evening, we ran into them again (what are the odds??) at the castle lighting ceremony (breathtaking, by the way). It was then that we also met Sue, Irene, and Roy, Julian and Kate’s parents. They were all quite delightful. They happened to be in Florida for a long holiday, celebrating Sue’s birthday while they were there. We all agreed to meet up together in the Animal Kingdom the following evening.

Day Three: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950494078000&type=1&l=4977c63f68

At the Animal Kingdom, I got pulled from the crowd to do an African dance, Melayna loved Expedition Everest (she dubbed it the Yeti ride), we met up with our new friends, and we attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party back at the Magic Kingdom. I also ordered Scott a cane that was being carved into. The gentleman was carving elephants in the large wooden staff and planned to carve “Hooper” in it as well. The downside of this evening was when Scott took a spill as he went off of a curb with his scooter. He bruised pretty badly on his bum, but otherwise, he was okay.

 

Day Four: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950511448000&type=1&l=7636b9c20e

Wednesday was a day at Downtown Disney where the kids got to enjoy Disney Quest – a five story arcade! It was a more relaxed kind of day. We enjoyed lunch at the T-Rex café, where every 15 minutes the lights dimmed, the ceiling lit up, and the dinosaurs came to life!

 

Day Five: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950529278000&type=1&l=ae9924aaf9

Thursday, by far, was my favorite day. I got to spend some quality time with my baby girl. We saw the Frozen sing-a-long show, the Little Mermaid show, the Beauty and the Beast show, meet wizard Mickey Mouse, and go to the Tower of Terror together (her idea, not mine). We finished our day at Fantasmic, a show of lights and water. Disney came through for Melayna, too. Her balloon, which we were using to keep track of her stroller, flew away. We were told to remove the balloon when entering Fantasmic. While doing so, we lost grip of the string and it floated to the sky. An employee saw what happened and later found us in the crowd while we waited for the show to start. He gave Melayna a gift certificate good for up to $25 on any one item at any Disney World shop. After the show, Melayna picked out a Frozen music box, instead of a another balloon (we would have to pop it in two days anyway).

 

Day Six: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152950549178000&type=1&l=59d0f90909

Our last day was spent at Epcot. The day of puke for me. And not even my own. We got on one of the rides and when I pulled the restraint down, there was someone else’s vomit! Disney replaced my sweater and gave us a bunch of fast passes! We split up and I got to spend the afternoon with Melayna and Tristan. Scott hung out with my dad and the girls hung out with Kate (Scott’s mother). We didn’t get the see the evening show as we had an early morning the next day. But we did get to do a mission with Perry the Platypus in the UK! Lots of fun!

I want to go back. I didn’t want the magic to end. Otherwise, lots of good memories. Lots of fun. Something I will remember for a long time.1