(Part-1) Details I haven't mentioned

After answering many questions for people coming to visit Casey in Morgan, I realized that I haven't explained much of exactly what has been going on with Casey's health. I guess I've just explained it to so many people I figured everyone just knew! So here are the details.

The main thing that you need to know, is that Casey is the perfect example of a fighter!!! Everyone that has been around him since he was diagnosed with brain cancer two and half years ago has seen that! And we are So Very Proud of Him!!! Even the doctors have told us that he has pulled through and survived so many things that so many others in his situation have passed away from. It amazed them all that he is still here!

Casey started having a harder time when he was undergoing the rounds of treatment this spring and summer after his second brain operation early this year. He was sick a lot, food just was of no interest, and his immune system suffered greatly. Near the end of summer, I believe it was August, he came down with a very sever case of staff infection and was taken to the hospital. There was a large abscess on the underside of his bum that the doctors were not sure at first exactly what it was. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the doctors didn't come to a conclusion or do anything about it until it had nearly doubled in size and almost spread to his prostate many days later. They finally decided to operate and took all of the infected area out. This left a gapping hole, impressive in width, length, and depth, that still to this day has not completely healed. For six weeks he resided in two different hospitals until he was reluctantly released. Angie has, and still, religiously tends to unpacking, cleaning, and repacking, his wound multiple times a day so it can try and get better. She has done such an amazing job and the wound has never had any problems besides his body's inability to heal at a normal rate. Ever since this problem, Casey has seems a lot more tired and uncomfortable but he Never complains and has the best attitude!

The next problem came when he developed a bad cold, I believe around the first of November.  The cold turned to bronchitis, and than soon into pneumonia. After a very nice time being able to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with my wonderful brother-in-law, Angie drove him to the hospital in Salt Lake City on Thanksgiving night when his breathing sounded like endless wheezing.  He was given a very strong antibiotic and was in the hospital for about a week as his pneumonia was able to get much better, but his cold has never really gone away. I still remember me and Jeff going to visit Casey and Angie at the Huntsman during this time and having such a great time just sitting and chatting about whatever for a few hours. :) I love it!

Around midnight on Sunday December 15th, Angie called me and asked if there was anyway possible I would drive to California with her and her family on Tuesday morning. She had mentioned wanting to do the journey sometime in the first of January but with Casey's health rapidly deteriorating and cold worsening again, she knew if she was to go, it needed to be NOW.  The doctors had recently told Angie that there was no more options for them to try so she began quickly doing her own research. She was able to find a clinic in Far Oaks, CA (only 20 mins from our oldest sisters home in Rocklin!) that offered alternative Eastern treatment.  So, after celebrating my birthday and packing Monday night, on Tuesday morning we left.

We definitely had many bumps along the way. Casey had started having difficulty swallowing a few days before and we saw that problem increase as the drive went on. He was having a hard time getting in and out of the car so it would take some time for Angie and I to help him walk to the car, slowly take baby steps to turn around, he would slowly bend down sitting on the edge of the car's seat, and then we would help him slide his legs in and work together to pull him all the way in and up in the seat so he could be remotely comfortable. I noticed his cough getting worse every single time we had a potty break and had to take him out into the bitter freezing cold to get him to and from the car.  It was heartbreaking, he seemed to be getting so sick and his comprehension appeared to be going down as he got more tired. We were also worried and kept a close eye on his oxygen level. Through all this he never complained! And he always tried his hardest to do what we asked of him!

We finally made it to Winnumucca, NV around 7pm and check into a hotel that some sweet people from their home ward had paid for. The minute we got into the hotel room Casey plopped on the bed and loved being able to lay down. He had a very good appetite and ate all of his subway sandwich and even part of mine. After spending a long while helping Casey take all of his medicine, we all went to bed. Around 2am is when I woke up. I heard some odd breathing. After laying in bed trying to decipher if it was just one of the kids or a slight snore, I determined it was Casey wheezing and I woke Angie up. Casey's oxygen was extremely low, his breathing harsh, and his cough deep. We debated whether or not to wake the kids and go to the hospital. I suggested that we should give him a nebulizer treatment and prop him up on a bunch of pillows so he could lay at an angle and not flat. It worked! He became much more comfortable. It wasn't until we were about to leave the hotel that Casey's oxygen level dropped again and we took him to the hospital. We were only there about 3 or so hours before casey seemed much more ok and alert and was released :) The relief society president from Angie's homeward had contacted the local missionaries and it was so nice to see them and have them give Casey a blessing before we left the hospital.

When we hit Reno we needed a clean and comfortable place so Angie could change Casey's wound packing. Our very sweet cousin Melanie and her family happened to live in Reno! We stopped and had a much needed comfortable break, ate dinner, and had a playdate with her kids for a few hours! We made sure to give Casey the nebulizer treatments as often as we could and to continue to prop him up on pillows. He loved the down time to lay on a clean bed and take a much needed nap! Thanks Melanie!

We got to Rocklin, CA to my sister's home around midnight. As could be expected, all of the traveling had made Casey very exhausted and he needed a lot of help walking into the house and getting ready for bed, but once his was laying down on all his pillows, he slept very soundly........