Hi everyone!

Today was the six-week follow up with the surgeon oncologist, to check on Rob’s left arm. Brief re-cap for new visitors, Rob’s arm is how we found out he has multiple myeloma. It began hurting to a point where he couldn’t move it, though he hadn’t done anything to injure it.  The doctor ordered an MRI, which revealed a tumor had fractured his arm. After further imaging tests, we found out he had 7 additional tumors throughout his body, and he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. 

Back to this morning, the surgeon was thrilled with the progress he has made!

The surgeon said that the bone is growing back and healing, and in six weeks, he expects it to be fully healed.  He showed us on the x-rays where the healing was occurring. He said that in another 6 weeks, Rob should have full  recovery and use of his arm!  From having surgery 3 months ago to this update today, are over the moon with this news! 

Thank you for the prayers, support and love!!!

Wristband Update:If you ordered a wristband and haven’t received one, please e-mail us at keeppoundingrob@gmail.com

If you would like a Keep Pounding Rob wristband, send your address to keeppoundingrob@gmail.comand I’ll send one to you. 

Today was a long day with a pulmonologist appointment, followed by labs and chemo at Levine. This is in addition to the 3 x day breathing treatments for RSV that he does at home.

The RSV, which consists of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath is still around causing problems.  We are grateful that his lungs do sound better according to the pulmonologist.   He informed us that RSV has a long recovery period and usually continues to cause the coughing/wheezing/shortness of breath for a few months.  Rob’s RSV started about 5 weeks ago. 

Thankfully, RSV didn’t delay chemo today. However, we learned that it may delay any upcoming stem cell transplant. This is not what we wanted to hear.

The main treatment goal (after chemo) is a stem cell transplant, due to the aggressive nature and stage of  his cancer.  Therefore, any potential delay just stinks, to put it mildly. 

Please pray that the RSV goes away, well before a stem cell transplant.  

Please pray for the breathing treatments that Rob does 3 x a day become easier

Please pray that as we deal with this pesky RSV, the chemo he is going through now continues to fight the tumors in his body. We were quiet excited to learn a few weeks ago it was helping shrink the tumor on his lung, and we are holding on to prayers and hope that it continues to do the same for all of his tumors.

Thank you beyond words for your prayers and love, and for helping Rob Keep Pounding!!!

Rob was able to enjoy some turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, and yesterday his chemo went well. His RSV cough is improving slowly but surely. So much to be thankful for!

Monday will be busy with a pulmonologist appointment, labs and chemo again.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 🙂  

Thank you for everything, Keep Pounding Rob Team!! 

Rob’s chemo went well, with the usual side effects of nauseous.  We are thankful for a medicine that helps with it, and one that doesn’t cause major drowsiness unlike some anti-nauseous meds.

A few weeks ago in an earlier post, I mentioned a man we met at Rob’s earlier chemo.  He is also fighting multiple myeloma. He had been through chemo, a stem cell transplant, and is now back on chemo.  We ran into him again yesterday. There was something so kind and reassuring about seeing what a fighter he is! His attitude is certainly one to admire and follow in this journey.

Speaking of following in this journey, thank you for your continued support, prayers, calls, texts and mail! They help keep Rob going and we are thankful for the best Keep Pounding Rob team anyone could ask for!!

To leave a message, question, jokes, funny stories, etc., for Rob:

E-mail:      keeppoundingrob@gmail.com

Call/text:  704-301-2480

 

 

#KeepPoundingRob

#KeepPoundingPanthers

#ThankYouKeepPoundingRobTeam

Rob has improved, and while not 100 percent, he cough is much better than the past few days. We think the RSV could have been what was causing the cough that has been so bad the past few weeks.

Since he is showing signs of improvement, chemo will take place as scheduled for the next two weeks, starting Monday. He will continue the nightly chemo meds at home during that time.

Thank you all again so much for your prayers and support!!  It helps more than words can express.

As always, feel free to reach us at  keeppoundingrob@gmail.com, or by phone at 704-301-2480. 

We hope our amazing Keep Pounding Team has a wonderful weekend!!

 

 

Hi everyone!

Thank you for the e-mails, texts, calls and comments about the good news from a few days ago!!

In this crazy cancer roller coaster, we learned today Rob has RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), common in infants and those with a compromised immune system.

If he is showing signs of improvement by Friday, chemo will stay on schedule for next week.

If he is the same or worse on Friday, chemo will be delayed.

Please pray that he begins to show signs of improvement from RSV,  so that we don’t have to delay chemo next week!!

Thank you for being there, and helping Rob Keep Pounding!!!

 

 

“The Chemo is working!”

–Rob’s Hematologist, Levine Cancer Institute,  11/12/2018

 

Those words were music to our ears just a little bit ago at Rob’s Hematologist appt.

The tumor that surrounded his lung is decreasing in size!!

Additionally, his M-Spike level (sp?) has decreased significantly, something they were anxious to see happen. There are many levels they monitor each time he goes in for an appointment or chemo, but apparently this is one in particular they were thrilled to see improve. The hematologist was very pleased about both the tumor decreasing and the M-Spike level decreasing as well.

It is our hope and prayers the chemo will continue to decrease the lung tumor, along with the 7 others in his body. We will know more on those after the next two cycles of chemo, and of course post the news here.

The cycles are two weeks long, followed by a week off, and then repeat.

If all goes well, Rob will be looking at a stem cell transplant in January.  We were fortunate enough to meet a man the other week who had been through a stem cell transplant for stage 3 Multiple Myeloma (same as Rob) and offered great hope and inspiration as we look towards that journey in January.  More updates on that as they become available.

For now, we want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who is helping Rob Keep Pounding!!!  You prayers, support and love have given us strength we didn’t know we had to face cancer head on.

Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts…we couldn’t have got through the past few months without all of you!

Thank you, Keep Pounding Rob Team!!

 

 

Hi everyone!

Rob’s first chemo of the week went well.  Unfortunately, his cough continued to get worse, even while on the 3 meds prescribed last week. On Tuesday evening, he began coughing up blood and had a racing heart rate, even when the coughing fits subsided.

He spent the next 18 hours at the ER, on the advice of his hematologist.  They did a myriad of tests, including a heart ultrasound, chest x-ray, and chest CT scan, in addition to lots of lab work. The good news is that everything appears to be ok, and the hematologist prescribed a different-and stronger-antibiotic for him.  Additionally, this won’t affect his chemo today at Levine, assuming his labs beforehand come back good. (He has labs to check to make sure his counts aren’t too low for chemo, followed by the actual chemo).

We are incredibly thankful we didn’t have to spend another night at the hospital, and extremely appreciative of all of the doctors, nurses, techs, and everyone at CMC (now called Atrium) who helped him with the tests and changes of medicine.

On another thankful note, we have the new wristbands!! If you already let me know you’d like one, it will be in the mail soon! If you’d like one, simply send me  (Brandii, Rob’s wife) an e-mail to keeppoundingrob@gmail.com or  call/text me at 704-301-2480.

Some pictures of the new wristband that say “Keep Pounding Rob”–and for those of you who know Rob and his love of superheroes, he choose the font style because it was named “Batman”…:)

They wristbands turned out great, though some of the pics below are a bit blurry, thanks to our crazy golden trying to “help” with the pictures…