The Hawk

Last night 3/29/11 was the night Rusty started to lose his hair.

He was playing ball and his buddy Quinn asked him " Dude why do you have hair all over your shirt?" Rusty looked down and his hair was all over his shirt. He realized that if he ran his fingers through the little hair he had it'd fall out. His leg hair, facial hair, and head hair. So to cheer him up Quinn buzzed a mo-hawk in his hair but Rusty says " Just for a day" ha. He didn't want to look like he had a cat anymore so he wanted his hair even shorter and then decided to to the hawk. Guess every boy has to try it once..So I've heard from others. ;)

It's not easy to lose your hair but I'm trying to keep his chin up! He will always be good lookin to me with or without hair!

A Disaster We Couldn't Control

On March 27th, 2011

we found

Our House (the shire used to be known as the slut hut) had been broken into

 with a crow bar through the doors in our room.

We have french doors that no one goes through and they started with mine and Lexi's room.

Took my ihome and a lot of my jewelry . Rusty's bracelet that he had engraved on when he first asked me out is gone. Women's medallion and all my jewelry that I actually wear! Lexi whose birthday is today she has her Cello case stolen and it's tuner. She had her extra  key to her car stolen and her DVD player. Stephanie had lots of jewelry money, chords to her computer, backpack. Britnee's chords to her camera jewelery, stereo, and movies. Courtney has her pearl ring that Bryce gave her and jewelry stolen, check book. Madi's check books were gone too. Her electronic stuff, movies, suitcase. Tiara lost her hard drive and jewelry and her fiance's keys and quad are gone from the shed. Anything that had do with electronics or ipods were taken.

We all lost something that was valuable.

 It's not funny! People that do this stuff need lives. It's pathetic. They nic-picked through everything. Some things were left that they could have easily taken and who knows why they didn't. Who knows what were going on through these people's heads. The cops were called. Our neighbor said they say lights through their windows at 2:30 Wednesday night. This was over spring break so we were all gone and Stephanie left Tuesday.

Stephanie, Madi, and Tiara's room

Our Second Living Room

My room and Lexi's

Britnee's room

By our back door

And Courtney's room

They totally trashed our house and went through everything.

It's ALL off

On Tuesday March 22, 2011

My Handsome Fiance decided he didn't want to deal with losing his hair so I shaved it.

 He decided to do a number two. He may not lose his hair all the way but that's a traumatic experience even for  guy so he wanted it off.

And he still looks cute!

Jake was also there. Jake and soo many more people have shaved their heads to support Rusty. Jake also wanted his hairline fixed so I fixed that so he didn't look like a "little boy" anymore! :)

This whole experience which... isn't over yet... has been well a life teaching experience.

Rusty and I talk about last semester and how perfect life seemed and now it's a different process. Before our worries were school and learning from each other and everything else that seems so little compared to now.

Many things have changed,

 life seems so serious and I miss the days he had energy to tickle me, wrestle with me, pick me up, even to scream at each other (in a playful way) that always ended up in a kiss and laughing.. Guess I have to remember that this will make us stronger in the long run and right now he's sick and needs his rest and needs to get better.

 One day we'll be back to our normal selves but hopefully take our trial and turn it into a better

 US.

Strength

Lexi, me, and with the help of Johnny took pictures to make Rusty smile

 instead it made him and his mom cry.



This one makes me laugh every time. ha



Strength.

 Is what i prayed for on the drive to Rio Rancho, New Mexico. I didn't know how hard it was going to be to see Rusty doing chemo or so sick.

So I asked for strength.  

Friday ( the 18 )
 Was the first time I was going to be with Rusty while doing chemo.

 The session was his last of his first week of chemo. He made it.

 It lasted 5 hours.

You'd think horrible..boring..right?

 It wasn't too bad.

Cherish had come from Phoenix on Thursday as well. We had woken up about 6:45 so we could leave the house by 7:30 to be there by eight. But we were a tad late. It was an early start especially because the time zone changed for me. So really I woke up at 5:45.

But the 5 hours went faster then I thought. Rusty slept the first bit while Cherish and Debbie talked and then the steroids kicked in!

 He was no longer yellow. He seemed more awake and happy.

 His nurses were very sweet! We also found out he may only have to do 2 sessions rather then 4. So keep praying for that!! We played "cut the rope" on Cherish phone and talked and ate.

 Rusty has his good moments and his bad.

Sometimes he's up and others he just crashes.

 His head has been hurting and he's felt a little light headed.
Saturday
  I found him laying in front of the bathroom on the floor because his head was hurting him.

That was hard to see.
Yesterday his buddies also came over which most have shaved their heads.

Rusty. Nathan. Sumner. Carson. Wesley.

Sunday (today)
 This morning he got too tired to even put on his shoes to go to church. He put on one..that was too much energy. He can't walk around very much either before he has to sit down and rest.

 We only stayed for sacrament because he was too tired and his head hurt. He's sleeping now! Rusty as had to eat right and drink lots of fluids. He's found that lemonade hurts his stomach but a coconut smoothies help or orange juice helps his stomach feel better. 

 He doesn't want to do chemo anymore.

 He hates feeling yucky.

 He just wants it to end...and I wish that I could take his pain away.

 Sometimes this is harder then I expected. But just taking one day at a time and remember this is just for a short period of time.



The Journey Isn't Over

" When you think life is going great and all is well, next thing you know you get hit back down on your knees" -Rusty Edwards

On March 2nd 2011, Rusty found out his trial was not over...

He got a phone call from the doctor that him and his family had seen the day before where they checked his blood and set up all the check ups that he needed to do for the next couple years...

Well his blood test came back..

Rusty's AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein) levels in his blood were at 23.5 the normal is 0-15 but before the surgery his AFP level was 750.

So the level has dropped but it still needed to go down more so he got the news...

he had to do chemo.

(We fasted and prayed and felt that he needed to do the chemo)

For precautionary measures Rusty has had to do the sperm bank,

but the odds are he will be able to have kids later

down the road.

Rusty will tell you that doing that for 6 days was soo awkward.

but better safe then sorry.

Rusty on March 14, 2011 (Today) he started

his first session of chemo @ 11 am.

He has to do 4 sessions, at least, of chemo.

5 days in a row (Monday through Friday) + 4.5 hours each day = 1 session

Then he gets 2 weeks off and starts another session, four times. His last session should be

in about May.

Wedding plans?

On hold. Depending if he can work or not and how he's feeling will see when we can plan a date so mean while we are trying to

make him better..

keep him strong..

say lots of prayers..

and do wedding things here and there.

He was "cruising around" with this Iv Cart

Pretty happy guy for what he as to go through

but he has so many things

to fight for

and I know we will get through this and that

he is strong enough for this trial in his life and so

am I.



And don't forget that Nathan was there by his side his first day and his parents!



First day. Done. He was fine until, towards the end of the night, when he felt sick, drained, and of course "missed his woman!"
 Thank you to those who are supporting him and shaved their heads.
 Nathan
Carson
Micheal
Wesley
Tanner F
Kegan
Danny
Sumner
Quinn
Nathan B
Eli
Ron
This morning Rusty walked down stairs and his dad had shaved his head even after Rusty told him he didn't have to. Rusty cried..

He's got an awesome dad!
While skyping you can tell that he is a little yellowish and got a sweet beanie from the hospital.

It isn't easy to see him sad..hear him breakdown..or know he's hurting.



Nathan with his head shaved



Eli Rusty's brother with his head shaved!