Details for our dear Steve's memorial ....

Steve's memorial will be:
 

Saturday, August 27, 2011

5:00 pm ~ light supper to follow

At our home in the backyard he so dearly loved

16150 Pinnacle Rd.  *  Chino Hills  *  CA  *  91709

Bring a light sweater as the evening can be cool.

Park anywhere on the surrounding streets.

For those of you that can make it, we'd love to see you there as we remember our dear, precious Steve.

We love you all,
~ Keren, for the family

Steve Is At Peace ~ August 2, 2011

at 3:03 this morning our dear precious Steve was released from his year and a half battle with cancer into the presence of our Lord. Joelle and I were at his side with Jenna arriving shortly after. We are heartbroken and also resting in God's promises.

...more later.

July 31st

Dear friends and family,

First I want to say how very much all your support means now, more than ever.  Your prayers, cards, emails, messages, calls, visits, and offers to help mean so very much and really are a bright spot in many a day.  Also, thank you for your understanding when Steve hasn’t felt up to visits lately or when I haven’t returned calls or emails.  Please know that I read everything to Steve and tell him about each call and you are being such a comfort to us and the girls.

A truly bright spot this week … On July 28^th our new little grandson was born to Jenna and Brian ~ Landon Sage Taliaferro ~ 8lbs. 7oz. and 22in. If you’re on Facebook you’ve seen many pictures, but for those of you not on that I’ll post a picture of him here when they bring him down to meet Steve this week.  Joelle stayed with Steve the day Landon was born so I could run up there for a few hours, and then she (Joelle) went up and spent time with them on Friday.  Brian and Jenna are bringing Landon down to meet Steve this week.  Our hearts are warmed and thankful as we experience Jenna and Brian, Joelle, Samantha, Molly and now dear, beautiful Landon. I have truly been overwhelmed with God’s glory, goodness and grace this week, even in the middle of all we’re going through.

Now for writing a more difficult part of this post … there’s just no way to put a positive spin on what’s happening to Steve’s body now.  He continues to loose weight and find it even more difficult to keep anything down, even with anti nausea meds (Zophran) and increased paid meds (Dilaudid).  On a good day he eats maybe one Ensure, a few saltines maybe a poached egg or two, and a little juice or water.  He can walk, with difficulty, the 5 or 10 steps to the family room where he’s comfortable sitting or laying down for sometimes an hour or two before he goes back to bed. On better days I wheel him outside where he enjoys sitting on the patio for short periods of time.  With increased pain meds he has very little to no actual pain.

Our wonderful hospice nurse continues to visit twice a week and more if needed.  I made several extra calls in the last week and they’ve been so helpful. 

We love you all so very much as you continue to support us with your prayers and words of caring and support.

“For God has said,  I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews 13:5    ….resting in this promise.

July 22nd

I haven’t updated for a few days because there’s nothing really new exactly. We’re pretty much going from day to day. Steve gets slowly weaker and  slowly requires more pain meds.  Some days he has trouble holding anything down and on good days pretty much wants only apple juice, water, saltines and Ensure. On bad days he tends to sleep a lot but on good days he’s up most of the day, sitting outside or in the family room watching cooking shows.  He says he SO misses eating and this helps that longing some.  He’ll watch the “girlie” cooking shows with me, but his favorites are on the Travel Channel – the “guy” cooking shows where they go into jungles and villages and eat all manner of really strange food.

His kind and gentle spirit continues to shine through all the medication and weakness.   He lovingly recalls lots of  good times with  his family, friends, and co-workers, or talks about adventures we’ve had and restaurants we’ve eaten in.  I notice in the last few days he’s been somewhat quieter, but he’s still very kind and thankful as we spend quiet days together.

The hospice nurse continues to come by twice a week and that’s a huge support.  I’ll be taking him in for another fluid drain this afternoon (Friday) and they’ve helped set that all up. 

Again, we all (Steve, myself and the girls) so appreciate the way so many of you are reaching out to us with calls, visits, emails, cards, facebook comments, and prayers.   You all mean the world to us.

~ Keren

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, … neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow …  No power in the sky above or in the earth below …indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

July 12th

This has been an eventful few days. We spent the weekend in the hospital while they got Steve’s pain under control with Dilaudid being given by IV which is faster acting than the pills.  Also, they removed 2 liters of ascites.  In order to do that they had to discontinue his Lovenox (blood thinner) and bridge the time he’d be off with another blood thinner, Heparin, which can only be given by IV and leaves your body in a couple of hours.  Immediately after the fluid drain they started him on Lovenox again.  If this makes no sense just know it was actually a good thing for him to be there for a couple of days, and he came home being more comfortable than he was when he went in.

Now his pain is stabalized with Dilaudid and, although he’s still having digestive issues, he’s more comfortable than he was last week. 

We can’t thank you enough for all your cards, emails, blog comments, calls, texts and visits.  Though I haven’t been able to answer each one, please know that all of us feel wrapped in your support, love, encouragement and prayers.

“For God has said,  I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews 13:5    ….resting in this promise.

July 7th ~

This has been a difficult day for Steve.  He was doing reasonably well this morning, but since the afternoon he’s been uncomfortable and in, not exactly pain, but true discomfort and he hasn’t been able to keep anything on his stomach.  Tonight they brought out some Zofran and so far it seems that it may be helping.  Tomorrow the nurse is starting him on a new, much stronger pain med, Dilauded, which is a derivitive of morphine so hopefully that will be of some help.

This is a most difficult time indeed and again, thank you for your outpouring of love, encouragement and prayers. We are blessed to have such dear family and friends in our lives.

 

“Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know He holds our hand.”  ....I love this old song.

July 5th ~ Quiet Day, Resting

Just a quick update.  Steve has slept most of today, after being in crisis mode all day yesterday.  He  can’t manage the stairs right now so we slept downstairs last night, and that’s still home base for him right now.  He can walk 10 or so steps to the bathroom and 15 or so steps to the family room but that leaves him winded, even with oxygen.  I’m giving him twice a day injections of a blood thinner (Lovenox) that’s intended to dissolve the clots in his lungs.

 I’ve  been talking with the hospice nurse throughout the day and they’ll be coming out tomorrow giving us today to rest and recoup.  We can call 24 hrs a day if there are any changes in his symptoms.  There will probably be more to post after her visit.

July 4th ~ Day in the ER

We spent the day in the ER where Steve was taken by ambulance after a quick onset of pretty extreme respiratory distress.  Diagnosis is a blood clot in each lung.  He’ll be on 2 Lovenox injections a day from now on.  There was talk of admitting him to the hospital, but he really wanted to come home and since he was doing pretty well, his stats were good, etc., and since we can have the hospice nurse come to the house twice a day, they let him come home.  He’s on oxygen and we’re taking very good care of him and can call either hospice or 911 if need be.

Jenna and her family were here so she and Joelle were at the hospital all day and it was such a blessing and comfort to be all together.

Steve’s resting comfortably now and the girls and I are taking a breath.  It occurred to me today that this is the first real emergency crisis we’ve had through this whole experience and for that we’re so thankful.

Resting in God’s promises,

Keren

Update ~ July 1st

It’s been too long since our last update and there is much to report.

Hospice is being a wonderful support.  The nurse stops in once a week to check on Steve,  monitor and order meds and procedures, provide tips for ways to make Steve more comfortable and answer any questions we have. I can call them anytime, day or night,  with any question or concern.  I’ve called them a few times with medical questions and just hearing “don’t worry, that’s to be expected” is a huge relief to both of us. They are available to come more often and there is always a nurse on call for any emergency.

Steve’s pain continues to be well controlled with narcotics, though he does have discomfort.  He has very little appetite and eats small amounts of food throughout the day ~ mostly liquids like protein drinks, juices, soup, and poached eggs, though bits of sushi/sashimi are still a favorite. 

He gets around the house, out to the patio and up the stairs, but walking any further is too difficult.  He sleeps well at night and takes a nap or two during the day, as do I  :-) . Our days are quiet as we spend time together in what’s become a comfortable routine of meds, sitting in the sunshine, watching tv, talking and relishing the time together.  Sometimes we get out for a ride if he feels up to it.  Although Joelle is working full time and going to school  she’s here much of the time and Jenna, Brian and the girls are here a good amount of the time as well.  They all bring love and life to our days and Steve loves being with them all.  Family love is good medicine  :-)

We’ve had visits from family and friends and each of you has been such a blessing!  Steve also spent last weekend (even stayed overnight) with a group of lifelong friends who have a special bond and an annual reunion. He loved spending time with “the guys”.  They took such good care of him and you could “feel the love” all around.  He’s exhausted and hasn’t really recovered yet, but he says, and I agree, that it was SO worth it.

I’m so sorry that I haven’t answered all your wonderful calls and emails or acknowledged your comforting cards, but I do read and listen to each one, and share them with Steve.  Your kind words mean so much to all of us.  So many of you have let us know that you are praying for us every day, and we feel sustained by your prayers.  Thank you beyond words.  We love you.

I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”

It's Been A Year ....Now There Are Updates

It’s been almost a year since we’ve posted updates here.  I could not bring myself  to write any posts, or even visit the blog.  But now I think it’s time to update all those of you that Steve, I, and the girls hold so dear.

We've had a good year and Steve continued to improve after surgery, even body surfing in July.  He pretty much “held his own” throughout the rest of the year and we have been blessed with many “new normal” days and many wonderful times with family and friends. 

Around the holidays he started feeling more and more tired, losing some weight, and then having some pain.  He started on some rather low dosage pain pills and we began spending more days at home so he could rest.  This trend has continued as the cancer progresses.  Occasionally we get out and run errands, and once in a while see a movie, but he’s most comfortable when he can be home.  We spend a lot of time on our patio just talking, or watching tv shows together.  I currently have him hooked on Dancing With The Stars and Celebrity Apprentice. ok, and American Idol.

As the dosage of the pain pills is increased, his appetite suffers but he has small amounts of softer foods throughout the day, even eating fresh blueberry pancakes occassionally, however weight loss continues.

There should be more to say, but when I try to write, it seems that I have no words.  

As always, we treasure your love, friendship and prayers and welcome your guestbook comments, blog comments, emails, facebook comments and calls.  The email I'll be checking is  ksagehorn@adelphia.net

Love,

~ Keren, for Steve

I Peter 5:7 “Casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.”  ….one of the first verses I learned as a child, and oh so precious now.