Dennis is doing better.  He went a week or so and was throwing up everything.  This was really hard on him and us.  The Dr. gave him this medicine that he takes 30 min. before he eats and it empties his stomach out so the next meal goes into a empty stomach instead of maybe a partial full one.  It is working!!!   No more throwing up.  He is actually eating 3 meals a day now.  I grant you they are not real big meals yet and it is all soft food but he is eating.  He hasn’t had any IsoSource food or as you would know it as liquid food for about 2 weeks now.  The Dr. just wants him to maintain his current weight.  He has loss about 30 lbs.  If he continues to eat regular food then we are going to see if he can have his feeding tube removed.  Now if I was not there he would not eat but I prepare his 3 meals every day and he is eating.  He even eats what we are eating for dinner.  One night he even ate a pork chop he just cut it in small small bites.  But he ate it and that is what counts.

He wants to get stronger so I told him we would start walking.  It is just small baby steps for now.  Just down two houses on both sides of us.  Then after a while we will go a little further and then further.  But for now small baby steps.  I don’t want him to over do it but he needs to get some strength back.  He has been done with his Chemo/Radiation for 3 weeks as of Fri. the 25th of April.  Dr. Skinner his radiation doctor said he should start feeling stronger in about 2 weeks after his last treatment.  Now of course it is not going to be over night but a little at a time.  Dennis would like to be back to work in no less than 2 months, we will see.

He goes on the 8th of May for his GI Endoscope and then on the 20th for the PET Scan.  So keep up the prayers for him.

God bless each of you for being there for the Cunningham family.

Here are some things to help cancer survivors and their families. I wanted to share this with you in case you or someone you know is a survivor.

http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-topics/survivorship/index.html

Prayer needed: Dad not feeling so well yesterday evening and today. He has been running a fever off and on and has threw up more than once. Family is worried he is coming down sick again. We were so excited earlier in the week as he was starting to eat soft foods again. He had not gotten sick in several days. however, last night and today, he feels not so good

I have compile a 10 minute and 46 second video of dad’s final day of radiation on April 05, 2013. Sorry this took me little over a week to get it up on the site… been on the busy side. I hope you like the video.

The Cunningham family is so blessed! We have not really got to raise money for Relay for Life with all that has been happening! However, last night, we went to bed with no money under our team (Team C). This morning, someone anonymous donated $1000 under our names: 500 for my dad, 300 for me, 100 dollars each for my mom and brother! I am truly amazed of how God works! If you were the one who donated, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You can still donated. Go to www.relayforlife.org Towards the bottom of the page, there is a search area. Type the person’s name. Then click onto their page. Donate! You can donate by credit card, cash or check.

Being a survivor is important in the cancer world. When you face cancer, you have two choices. Fight or give up. Dad is a 6 month survivor!

Though this is dad’s site, I wanted to express to his friends what it means to be a survivor of cancer from my point of view.

March 16, 2007… I was told I had leukemia. For two weeks, I truly felt my life was over. I have CML. I truly went from this happy go lucky woman to a very sad woman. I was never angry at God as I knew He did not give this to me. However, I knew God would bring me through this. Despite that, I was very low – both emotionally, mentally and physically.

One day, my mom came into my room. I was sitting at my desk on the computer. She swirled me around and give me a heart to heart talk.

She told me at the end: You have two choices. Fight or give up. You chose. Fight — hope, strength and looking at the cancer head on and saying with force – Cancer will not win. You LIVE LIFE and Cancer loses. Give up: Curl up in that bed and don’t come out as there is no reason to.

Of course, after the “Mom” talk, I got my fighting gloves on and am a survivor. Dad put on his fighting gloves 6 months ago yesterday. He is very worn out but still fights and looks at cancer and refuses to let cancer win.

Please continue to encourage him, lift him up in prayers and let him know God is with him. Even being a survivor all these years, there are days that I have to be reminded to continue to fight. Dad is in the middle of war and is a survivor.

tonight was relay for life. It is a fundraiser for cancer research. We have gone since I was told I had cancer. We were going to pass on it this year but dad wanted to walk the survivor lap. So we walked for a few laps. Dad is too weak to actually walk so we pushed him in the wheelchair. It was really emotional for all of us. dad started to cry on the first lap – the first half of the lap is survivors only and then the second part, the caretakers joins us. Though we did not stay as long as normal, dad and I went around the lap as survivors – just like I told him we would back in Oct. Dad is still really weak. However, I know you have to put one foot in front of the other and take one moment at a time. God is with us and that gives me comfort. Photos will be up this weekend!

Today is the day for Relay for Life.  We got started in this 6 years ago when  we found out that our daughter had Leukemia.  We thank God every day for her being in remission now for 6 years.  She is doing Great!!

Dennis wanted to go to this years Relay for Life even if it was only for a few laps around the track. He of course was to weak to walk it this year so we had the push wheelchair for him. We usually walk for several hours, but I wasn’t to comfortable on him going out and being around all of those germs with his immune system being so low.  So I made a deal with him.    He would wear a mask  while he was there except when he and Jennifer walked the survivor lap.  Going around the survivor lap was very hard on him.  It was bad enough that we had to walk it with our daughter but now the both of them.  It was a very emotional time for our family.  At one point Dennis just broke down.  Of course as soon as he did there was 6 other eyes crying right along with him.  When you see your family member hurting then you hurt as well.  We walked the track several laps and then we came home, he tires easily and he was ready to go.  This was only the 2nd time Dennis has been out in public in a month and half.

April 11th is our sons birthday he is 27 today so his dad and I want to say

Happy 27th  Birthday Adam we love you!!!!!

Dennis had a to go and pick up some paper work from his oncologist over off of Nasa area.  He doesn’t get out unless it is to the Dr. office.  But this paper work had to get to his job and no later than Thur. so after getting it from the doctor we went to United to turn it in.  Even though when you are sick and you slow down  unfortunately the world around us does not.  He got to see Steve, who works also at United and Dennis has known for a long time.  So they sat and talked for a few minutes.  He wanted to go to the hanger and see some of the guys but his immune system is really low and he really shouldn’t be out to much.   This was his first time back to the hanger since he stopped working in late Feb. Really this was his first time out anywhere since late Feb. except to the Dr’s.    He still is having a hard time keeping anything down.  He has been throwing up since he came home from the hospital and that was on the 30th of March.

Today brought a little scare for my family. As you may know, Dad has been throwing up daily for about a week to two weeks. Sometimes it is more than once. When he went to the dr this past Friday, mom and dad talked to the dr about it. In addition, he has been feeling really full and not wanting to eat much. So we thought his feeding tube had moved back into the small intestine like it did a couple weeks ago. So the dr ordered an x-ray on it and scheduled for this past Monday.

This morning, we got the results. His feeding tube had moved up towards the bottom part of the esophagus which would cause he to throw up. So he could not eat or drink the rest of the morning.

This afternoon, MDA was going to move the tube back where it goes. After using a machine that is like an x-ray, the drs said his tube was in the right place. After inserting contrast through the feeding tube, everything looked good. They did another contrast while dad was in a different laying position. All was good. So he did not have anything done.

The drs are baffled on why dad is throwing up so much. He has been taking his meds as a liquid form. We are going to go back to the pill form and see if it stops.

Say a prayer that he gets feeling better. He does not have much energy and really feels horrible. Thanks all for everything.

The C word. Cancer. You got Cancer. when you hear those words, it echos in your mind over and over. As you begin to tell family and friends, the realization becomes real.

As you become a survivor and live everyday, you noticed the small things and the things that seem more important than family become unimportant.

I am a blessed woman and my family is truly blessed. Through the entire 6 months of my dad battle, friends have poured out their love to me and my family. Words can not even describe how humble this experienced has made me. We have such an out pour from so many people. We have met people through this experience. God’s love has been shown so many way and so many times. A simple hug, prayer, listening ear, gentle words, a kind gesture, time visiting us. Angels in human forms. Words will never be able to be expressed the deep love I have for those who touched my family’s hearts over the last few months.

I wanted to truly say thank you and know that you have made a difference in my heart.

We just had a wonderful meal. Thank you to Kim and Carl for bringing us dinner. My dad ate roast beef! It was the first time he has eaten meat since he stopped eating over a month ago. In fact, the roast beef was so tender we did not even need a knives to cut it! The bake potatoes, carrots and buns were great. What true friends! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Tonight was dad’s last day of radiation. Now it is a waiting game until May to see how much cancer was destroyed. To say the least, tonight has been emotional for my family. I sat waiting for my dad to come out and thought of how I wish there was no cancer. We meet so many people on our journey that makes a difference in our lives even for a short time. A little girl, 8, finished her radiation tonight too. Another young girl has another few days. A young boy finished his treatments last week. In addition, a guy who also has esophagus cancer finished today as well.

Over the last couple months, we have shared our lives together in this experience that no one ever wants to go through, the fear, the sadness, and the unknown. Yet, when you talk to a survivor, all of this has been given to God. Tonight, we celebrated. We celebrated getting through treatment. We celebrated that we put it in God’s hands and HE is healing all these people. More deep thoughts but will write tomorrow.

Just got home from home from Dad’s radiation… to say the least, Dad is not feeling to good. In fact, he looks like he is all doped up, but he isn’t. Probably one of the reasons why he isn’t feeling to well is because he got sick earlier and basically threw up his whole supper.

Anyways, tomorrow (Friday) is going to be a VERY busy afternoon / evening for Dad and the family. Between blood work / doctor appointment at MD Anderson – Clear Lake and going downtown Houston tomorrow evening for Dad’s last day of proton radiation… everyone is going to be tired tomorrow night.

We all are looking forward in Dad ringing the gong tomorrow after his treatment. Just so you know, between mom and I, the event of Dad ringing the gong will be well documented. LOL!!! I will post pictures / video(s) by Saturday afternoon.