tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40916340789089727482024-03-05T21:52:23.827-08:00The giant warrior chronicleskicking cancers butt!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-44535967756231409392013-10-29T21:38:00.004-07:002013-10-29T21:38:28.218-07:00At the End of the JourneyI am that point where it is time to finish my journey through cancer. Today was the culmination of all of that as Dr. Goff removed my portocath which means since I have been cancer free for a year, the hope is that I will remain that way for the rest of my life. So now what to do? We are champions and so are each and every one of you that has shared this journey with us. Had it not been for your prayers, thoughts, support, faith, and love, this journey would have been much more difficult and may not have had the outcome it did so THANK YOU! May God Bless you in all your righteous endeavors. <br />
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When you come to the close of a really good book or movie you want more. When a life experience has come to an end it can be bittersweet. It is bittersweet for me to end this blog through my journey with cancer. Bittersweet because through this experience I have come to realize so many things like how awesome it is to have nose hairs so that you don't have an eight month long runny nose, or how much better I look with eyebrows, or even how nice it is to be able to walk around without any foot pain. There are many more things on a temporal scale but I won't bore you with those today.<br />
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What I have come to realize more than anything is God has a plan for us and we shouldn't fight it. Of course something like cancer wouldn't be the ideal thing anyone would want to learn that lesson but I was okay with it from the beginning because I have faith to trust in his will and not my own understanding. Was I afraid I could possibly die? Absolutely I was afraid but I know that this life is but a blink of an eye in terms of His eternal plan for us and I'm grateful to know that even though we go through trials and challenges in our lives, we all have the opportunity to seek His love and comfort through prayer. I'm grateful for the my faith and belief in the Plan of Salvation that we are here to gain earthly experiences so that we may return to live with Him one day as eternal families. <br />
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I'm grateful that God allowed his son Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins so that we may be able to enjoy all the blessings of families and happiness that this life has to offer and in the life to come. One of the things that kept me positive is that the Lord Jesus Christ said to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Son of Man hath descended below all things, are ye greater than him? I take that as we may be asked to go through trials in our lives but to remember that Christ suffered greater than we ever will. That gives me comfort to know he can comfort us because he knows exactly what we are experiencing and it proved to be true to me. One of the church hymns I grew up with is called Abide with me tis eventide. The hymn states, "Oh Savior stay this night with me behold tis eventide" and He did stay with me during the toughest times.<br />
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If there is anything to take away to help any of you in your personal lives and struggles when it seems why me and how come others seem to have it so good I would say, God sees potential in us that we may not see ourselves and sometimes our suffering is like a refiners fire. We're being polished just a little bit more so that in the end we may shine like a beautiful stone that was meticulously perfected but only after being put through a rigid process of purification. With that being said, how we will react and what will we do when we are face with this process will determine our heavenly reward. May God bless each one of you according to your needs. <br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-45100407274538468682013-10-29T21:08:00.001-07:002013-10-29T21:08:02.070-07:00Fast Forward to September 2013If I could turn back time I would have taken better steps to keep an more up to date journal so that I could relate all the things that have happened but I guess I haven't updated this blog like I wanted to because a part of me wanted to just enjoy my time with my family. Being cancer free you have a different outlook on life and the things you may have taken for granted you try to remember in the good times and to never take for granted again. I guess I've been enjoying life so much I forgot to write it down here. So please forgive me for that and here is an update of what has happened in the year 2013 thus far. Not much of this is cancer related but I share it with you because these are things that might not have happened had we not have been triumphant:<br />
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<u><b>February: </b></u> We went to Ecuador and took Zoe to meet all of her relatives that have so long anticipated her arrival in this beautiful South American country.<br />
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<u><b>May:</b></u> We set off some balloons marking the one year anniversary from when I was diagnosed with cancer. We let go of white balloons to symbolize hope, faith, and love. It was a tender moment and a beautiful one at that. We also celebrated our 10th Anniversary of marriage and what a great way to celebrate by having beaten cancer together and to be free of it. We went went back to New Jersey to the place where Gloria and I met. It was awesome to see the places we had been, what our lives have transpired to now, and how bright the future looks going forward:<br />
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<u><b>June:</b></u> I had the opportunity to participate in the Relay for Life Run at my alma mattter Bonneville High School. It was a great opportunity to show my support for cancer research and at the same time celebrate with my family the blessing of being cancer free for the past 9 months. I was able to walk a lap with a care giver and that was Gloria and Zoe walked with me in Tia Lucinda's place. Gloria's aunt came to live with us just a few months before I was diagnosed and what a blessing she was and support to us during the tough times.<br />
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<u><b>August:</b></u> We celebrated Zoe's 2nd birthday and what a blessing to see her grow everyday and the joy and happiness she brings to our lives. It was divine intervention that she came to us when she did so that she could be both of our motivation to get through this and to fight day in and day out. Gloria and I knew we needed to beat cancer just as much for her as for both of us so that we can enjoy the blessing of having earthly experiences together day in and day out. We love you Zoe!<br />
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<u><b>September</b></u>: We and mainly Gloria deserved a long vacation and in celebration of our 10 year anniversary went on a cruise to the Caribbean. Our anniversary was in May but we since we went to New Jersey we wanted to do something extra fun and spend time relaxing and having fun in the sun. <br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-84822231051663082822013-10-29T19:13:00.002-07:002013-10-29T19:13:10.229-07:00November - December 2012 - A Little Chemo Goes A Long WayAs I mentioned in the post Radiation Man it was decided that I would do a few additional treatments of Chemotherapy to ensure better success of the cancer not returning. The good thing was I didn't need to be admitted to the hospital anymore for this chemo, the bad is well its chemo. I started in conjunction with the radiation and did three days in a row of chemo out patient and then three weeks off. This started in November and went through January 2013. Each time chemo would happen Wednesday-Friday and then I'd have the weekend to recover so I could work for three full weeks again before another round. A little chemo goes a long way because only 4 hours each day for three days is not that bad but the effects lasted a few weeks. I'm not complaining just explaining how strong these drugs are. I can't begin to explain how blessed I was feeling at this point. The surgery had been a success and I could start to see a light at the end of the tunnel in the sense that soon I would be done with all treatments. I was a little bummed about doing chemo the day after Christmas but hey I'm glad to have made it to another Christmas which many with cancer do not have that blessing. <br />
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Dr. Johnson and his staff have been great to watch over me and make sure that my body is healthy that my levels are where they need to be in order so as not to have to worry about things like low white blood counts, infections, or low platelets. They have been amazing and I couldn't be happier to have them on my team to kick cancer's butt! It was decided to do 4 more rounds of chemo and I only made it to three. After the third the neuropathy in my feet had gotten so bad that I wasn't able to walk very well without appearing to be an old man. So after three rounds Dr. Johnson left it up to me and I said I'll live with the decision to forgo one more round. I finished chemotherapy on December 28, 2013! What a great surprise when I got home the second love of my life my daughter Zoe. Thank you to the #1 love of my life, Gloria for being the true Rocky through all of this. Your courage, composure, faith, and beautiful smile is one of the greatest medications that I had to keep me feeling well and to keep my spirits high. I LOVE YOU!<br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-65570295899315776212013-10-29T18:58:00.002-07:002013-10-29T18:58:38.678-07:00November - December 2012 - Radiation ManAfter my post-op appointment to Dr. Goff and a follow up visit to Dr. Johnson (Oncologist) it was decided since my cancer is rare and we want to make sure it stays gone and that it got such a butt kicking it never wants to show its face again, I would have post radiation and chemotherapy as a safeguard. I started radiation with Dr. Whipple and his amazing staff the first week of November everyday except Saturday and Sunday for six weeks completing it on December 13, 2012. <br />
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Radiation is a different monster in itself in that the side effects creep up on you little by little at least in my case. They map you out with tattoos, yes the permanent kind but not the ones you'd be ashamed to show your mother because these are just dots and they are made to save your life so I think momma would make an exception. Little by little the radiation wears on your skin and the areas close to where they are treating. The area they treated was near the heart and by the esophagus so within a few weeks everything I swallowed including water hurt like I was swallowing tiny needles with anything I ate so that made eating a chore by all means. Maybe the perfect diet regime for anyone looking to lose weight because even though you are hungry you don't want that needle feeling so you try to eat less and less. As they say all good things must come to an end and thankfully I like to say all bad things come to an end including radiation. I have to compliment Dr. Whipple and his staff. They were awesome to work with and celebrated my six weeks of radiation when completed. They even let me have a knock out!!! <br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-78940679461769899922012-10-05T14:58:00.000-07:002012-10-05T14:58:09.109-07:00Post Surgery Second UpdateFor those that may not know, even though the surgery was a total success, there were still pathology reports that we were waiting for to see if the margins around the tumor were clean or free from cancer. That report was given to us on Tuesday by Dr. Goff. All the margins were clean and no traces of cancer in the tissue around the tumor were present! There was some residual cells which is not uncommon but that can be treated with a combination of radiation/chemo and in my case hopefully will be very minimal. It is interesting to note that Dr. Goff placed clips inside my chest wall where he thought the areas that would most likely have cancer in the tissue and all of those places came back negative for cancer.<br />
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From a spiritual perspective, my father has given me many blessings through this fight with cancer and every time he has specifically blessed me with "clean margins" around the tumor. I am grateful for those blessings of a loving father and his faith in the Lord's ability to treat me and make me whole again.<br />
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I have a follow up on October 22nd, and from there we'll know what post surgery treatment I will have and we will go from there. Thank you for your continued thoughts, faith, love, support, and prayers. Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-42206789282049886362012-10-05T14:43:00.001-07:002012-10-05T14:43:49.285-07:00Miracles Never Ceased and Continue Today!It has been nine days since I had my surgery and I thought today would be a good time to update everyone on what has transpired since my last post as well. As you know, September 26th was the big day of surgery and it was a total success! Before I elaborate more on the success of the the surgery there are some things I would like share. The first thing is I have always maintained that miracles do exist even in our day and time. Even as pessimistic or unbelieving that society has become, it doesn't change the fact that God continues to perform miracles today just as in biblical times. <br />
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Secondly, until about two weeks ago, I had thought that faith was the main factor in whether miracles happen or not. I have learned in my experience that it is more than just faith. It is having the faith that the miracle sought out is possible, and accepting God's will unconditionally even if his will is not to perform the sought out miracle. When Dr. Goff met with us a few weeks ago before the surgery, he said that the reduction of 60% was great news and that we should be happy about that. He also said there was a chance he may not be able to remove all the tumor because of its location so close to the aorta and left subclavian artery. He said he'd do his best but that was the possibility to be aware of. After months of chemotherapy, after being emotionally and physically tired for so long, it took some time to take in that the tumor may not be able to be removed in its entirety. It was probably the hardest thing for me to say, "Heavenly Father, I have the faith that the surgery will be a success and the tumor will be removed in its entirety, if it is thy will. I accept thy will whatever the outcome may be." Once I truly accepted it in my heart and my mind I was very much at peace and went into the surgery very calm still not knowing what the final outcome would be but knowing that a loving Heavenly Father was with me and watching over me. <br />
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Returning to the success of the surgery. The surgery lasted 6 hours and I am glad I was the one having surgery because had I been in the waiting room, I'm sure it would have been the longest 6 hours of my life. Dr. Goff was able to use his great talents and I feel God blessed him as well so that he'd be sharp and precise and he removed the tumor in its entirety. He did have to do some grafting on my left lung and inside the chest wall. There was even removal of a great portion of the innominate vein. There also was some dissecting around the nerve that is part of the voice box and Dr. Goff thought my voice would be soft or hoarse for many months and that I would even need speech therapy. None of that was the case and I was sipping water and talking to my nurse within a few hours of being transferred to my room. I count that as another miracle, and the miracles have been many.<br />
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I was suppose to stay in the ICU for at least two days depending on my recuperation and progress. Within about 15 hours I was transferred to a regular room with the ability to eat anything I wanted. Previously I had been restricted to no food and only able to take liquids by sucking on a sponge. Last time I had the sternotomy, it lasted only 2 hours and I was in the hospital for 5 days. This time it was 6 hours and I was home within three days. I got home Saturday and have been up and walking around, and going up and down the stairs by myself. The first time I had the surgery, Gloria had to bathe me for a week, and this time she only had to bathe me on Saturday and I have been blessed to do it myself everyday this week. <br />
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What I have taken from this whole journey that started back in May is there are little miracles that happen everyday of our lives. The question is do we have our eyes openly spiritually enough to recognize them? I am so grateful for this experience as it has taught me to treasure life on a deeper level and to recognize what a blessing it is to just go for a walk or sit down to eat dinner with the ones you love. I look forward to each day looking for that miracle whether big or small because they are there, we just have to keep our eyes open long enough to see them. Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-56060534358695618242012-09-16T22:14:00.001-07:002012-09-16T22:14:25.296-07:00September is HereWe are now in September and we have met with Dr. Goff the surgeon on September 10th. He was very thorough and explained to us the risks and scenarios that might take place during the surgery. There is probably one nerve and vein that they will have to sacrifice but he feels they are already not working because of how my diaphragm on the left side isn't working and the vein is where the blot clot was and the tumor had it closed off as well and the blood has re-routed itself and so I haven't been using it for some time. He did say he wanted to check with some other cancer centers to make sure that there isn't some other treatment they should be doing per-operation. He said it was good that the tumor shrunk 60% and he had hoped it would have shrunk more to make sure that he can take out all of it. Worst case scenario, he may have to leave some of the tumor in if it is close to some arteries that they can't mess around with. If that is the case then there may be some treatment of chemo with radiation but we won't know until we get the surgery. <br />
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The surgery is scheduled for September 26th. Dr. Goff has already spoken with the National Cancer Institute in D.C., and the medical oncologist who authored the papers on how to treat thymic cancer. This medical oncologist said that Dr. Goff and Johnson have done everything he would have done and that surgery is the best option now. He said he would look at the CT scans and let Dr. Goff know if there is anything else he can offer in terms of input after reviewing them. Dr. Goff said it was comforting to know that the person who authored the treatment of thymic cancer agreed that they have done the right treatment. So until then to all my friends and family, we'll be looking towards the 26th and from there I promise to be more prompt in getting an update on the blog. I ask for your continued prayers, faith, and thoughts on behalf of myself and my family. As my dad told me on every letter during my two years on a mission: "Keep the Faith"Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-4904027420727265502012-09-16T22:04:00.001-07:002012-09-16T22:04:59.589-07:00Labor Day WeekendWith everything that has happened in the last month, Gloria and I decided we needed a break. So we decided to use some free nights we had in Vegas and headed down there over Labor Day weekend. We took Zoe and Gloria's aunt with of us of course. It was great and a lot of fun and all we did was hang out. I think the fact that we got out of town we kind of forgot about everything and just enjoyed each others company. Zoe loved the Bellagio's water show even though it would startle her every time the water would shoot up in the air. She loved the pool too where we stayed.<br />
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When I was driving back and forth to St. George during the floods in 2011. I was making the trip weekly for about four months. I never stopped at Cove Fort near Beaver. This time on our way down we stopped and had one of the best experiences with the missionaries down there getting a tour of Cove Fort and learning about it. I recommend anyone heading either down or back to take an hour out of your drive and go have a great spiritual experience there.<br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-4794453110721678712012-09-16T21:59:00.000-07:002012-09-16T21:59:02.846-07:00What a Journey Thus Far!My last post was July 30th and I apologize to those that may have been worried that something bad happened or that sometimes just not knowing can make one nervous. I was suppose to start my 4th round of chemotherapy on August 7th, but I was a little sick and so I had to wait until August 13th because the my oncologist said that even little cold combined with chemotherapy could have serious consequences to my health and my immune system. I was a little bummed by that news but at the same time knew that following my doctor's instructions is kind of like following a map. If you pay close attention to where you need to go you'll most undoubtedly make to your destination. If you don't pay close attention then you'll most likely end up way off course and then it takes that much more effort to get back on track.<br />
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August 13th came and went for my chemotherapy. I did pretty good this time but it was a little bit lonely because Gloria was unable to stay with me all the days I was there. There is always a positive for every negative I believe and that positive is the time away during the night and day always makes the heart the fonder. I didn't have any complications and as much as the nurses were so wonderful I told them that I hope I don't have to see them again. This was my final round of chemotherapy in the sense of being in the hospital for three days at a time receiving 72 straight hours of it. If I do have to do follow-up chemotherapy it will most likely be an outpatient and last only a few hours. I'm grateful to the medical oncology staff at McKay for their awesomeness in taking care of me. <br />
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August 21st I had a CT scan to see what the effects the third and fourth rounds of chemotherapy had on the tumor. This time though it didn't become a waiting game as the hospital had all the information from the previous scans and by Friday, August 24th we found out that the tumor had shrunk another 10%. 60% in total which I was very excited about and thankful to my Heavenly Father because the cancer is so rare that there is not a lot of information on how to treat it. My oncologist said many times the tumor will start to become resistant to the chemo drugs and so he said the reward does not outweigh the effects and so he wasn't going to recommend any more chemo rounds because of the toll it was taking on me. He said that surgery was the next step. They also found a blood clot on the CT scan so I had to go back in for an ultrasound to confirm the blood clot and was then put on blood thinners and some really "fun" shots that have to be administered into the stomach near the belly button. I'm glad I'm done with those for the time being.<br />
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This same day I started getting more of the chemo effects that I have not had to endure up to this point. This one being canker sores all over the inside of my mouth, a bad cough, and loss of appetite I spent from Friday, August 24th to August 26th in bed too ill to even get up. I did get some awesome medicine from my doctor that temporarily numbed the mouth. As I was laying in bed and just feeling physically horrible the following scripture came to my mind: <span class="verse"></span>"But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." (Alma 34:41) I can say that this is true. Patience and trust in the Lord. At the time it seems that our troubles and afflictions may never pass but they do.<br />
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August 27th seemed like a normal day. I had a little bit of a cough and even went to the doctor's office to have my white blood count checked. I talked to my doctor a little and said I was fine for the most part just a little bit of coughing here and there but nothing serious. Well later that night around 9:00 PM I started to have a cough attack and ended up in the emergency room at Davis Hospital. My awesome brother Josh was there as he works there to get me in quick to see a doctor. They ran some tests and checked my blood and got me some good cough medicine so I could sleep. They found I had a respiratory infection and the blood tests came back that my white blood count was low and that my platelets were low as well. So the next day I went back to my doctor and got a white blood cell booster shot and also scheduled a platelet transfusion at McKay. The platelet transfusion was August 29th and it was quick and easy but man do those things make you sick as can be. The good thing is the effect was short lasting and by the evening I was feeling a lot better. <br />
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So we've had a few bumps in the road since finishing the last round of chemotherapy to say the least. Its okay though because we could have had these after each chemo session and I'm so grateful that I didn't. It's a question of attitude. Is the cup half empty or is it half full. We can either go in with a good attitude and a grateful heart for all the blessings we have in our lives or be negative and be bitter which doesn't help us grow or learn. If we don't grow and learn what was the point of going through everything? God doesn't allow us to go through trials just because. I strongly believe there is a reason for it and if we are willing to submit to his will, I know we'll come out stronger physically and spiritually and will be better people because of it. Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-88705097724692266612012-07-30T07:26:00.001-07:002012-07-30T07:26:55.184-07:00I've Been a Little TiredI guess my posts are becoming more sporadic as the more chemotherapy I am doing, the more it is taking a toll on my body in the sense of being tired. I still feel good and am up and about doing the things that I need to get done, but that extra energy and focus is sometimes hard to find. I still consider myself very blessed as I am still able to do quite a few of normal things like go to the store, drive myself around, go to church (at least the first hour), and most importantly spend quality time with Gloria and Zoe.<br />
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Now for the update! As stated previously I was admitted to the hospital for a third round of chemotherapy on July 17th. It went well and I was home on Friday afternoon July 20th. I was a little bit tired though and unfortunately was not able to return to work the following week. During the 1st and 2nd round of chemo I was able to return to work by the following Thursday but it just didn't happen this time. All is okay because I was able to get a few work related items done from home and my friends at work (they are so much more than just co-workers) have been and continue to be a great support. I'm excited to be back in the office tomorrow and get some things done. There is a great feeling that is hard to describe about having some normality and even routine come back into one's life. <br />
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Until the next time, thank you for all your support and prayers!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-14357128224658668992012-07-17T17:16:00.004-07:002012-07-17T17:20:17.766-07:00Belated Update...Lots of NewsMy last post was July 8th and now it is July 17th today. The reason for such a delay is because the quality of effective care at the Radiology Department at McKay-Dee is greatly lacking. I had a CT scan on July 9th and they did not inform me that I needed to provide them with a copy of the first CT scan from the clinic where it was taken. The next day I went and got another copy from the Tanner Clinic and drove it up to the Radiology Department at McKay-Dee and hand delivered it and then things just went downhill from there.<br />
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A radiologist reviewed the first CT scan and instead of finishing his report and attaching his addendum to it, he didn't finish it until Friday the 13th and didn't finish it until the evening which by then resulted in my doctor's office being closed and unable to receive the report. I had an appointment yesterday July 16th with Dr. Johnson and even though both CT scans were in the system with their reports, the Radiology Department did not do a comparison of the two CT scans and therefore Dr. Johnson was unable to make an exact determination of the progress. How does it take someone a whole week to do a work up on one CT scan and then not even compare the two? Talk about inefficiency and a complete disappointment. Please note that this is the Radiology Department only. Dr. Johnson, his staff, and the oncology nurses at McKay are awesome!<br />
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The good news from all of this is Dr. Johnson was able to look at the two scans and determine that the tumor has shrunk around 40% from the first two rounds. That is great news! 40% is almost half and that is great progress. Dr. Johnson immediately consulted with Dr. Goff and even though Dr. Goff said he could operate it would be better to do two more rounds of chemotherapy to see if we can get the tumor down to another 40%. This would take away the danger and complications of having to sacrifice some major blood vessels and a major nerve that controls the diaphragm on the left side. So today it is July 17th and we are in the hospital for another round. I look at it this way. I've gone two rounds with this tumor, I have blackened both of its eyes, drawn blood from its nose, face, and mouth. I haven't quite knocked it out but that will happen after a few more rounds. I am kicking its butt and I don't plan on letting up on it. This is the Rocky in me. <br />
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Of course in all reality it is not me that is kicking this cancer's butt. I still truly believe that the Lord has his hand in every aspect of my life and that he is blessing me with the ability to be healed. In the New Testament of the Bible there was a blind man that was called by the Lord to come unto him. When he came unto Jesus he was asked what Jesus could do for him. He asked that he could have his vision restored and Jesus said to him, "thy faith hath made thee whole" (Mark 10:52). If faith can make a blind man see again then faith can heal me of this tumor. Thank you again to everyone for your continued support and prayers!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-43092870365750815232012-07-08T16:28:00.000-07:002012-07-08T16:28:20.020-07:00A Little WhileMany of you know that my brother Nick has an amazing talent for writing songs and putting them into a great array of chords and melodies. A few years back he and some close friends of his created their band Double or Nothing. They have played many shows over the years and written hundreds of songs. I have to say they are awesome and have real talent. My brother expresses himself through song and when I was diagnosed with cancer it was hard for him to even come to my hospital room let alone know what to say to me. So he did what he does best and wrote me a song. It is called A Little While.<br />
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Through life's troubles and sorrows we need to keep in perspective that these things in most cases will only last a little while and even though some things may last our whole lives, our life is but a blink of an eye when we look at the eternal aspect of things. Please take the time to listen to this song, and think about your tough times and know that they will only last a little while.<br />
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<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_13808944" target="_blank">A Little While</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-10375673450267850002012-07-02T19:37:00.001-07:002012-07-02T19:37:45.633-07:00Loving Me Through ThisThis second round of chemotherapy has started to take a toll on me. I am losing more hair, I'm definitely more tired, and just struggling a little bit. That is how it works though, not until after the trial of our faith will we see the things that only God knows we need come to fruition.<br />
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I just happen to stumble upon a music video from Martina McBride called "I'm Gonna Love You Through It." This song really touched me because it is my story in reverse. My beautiful and loving wife Gloria is loving me through this. Through all the good moments and the unpleasant ones as well. She keeps me upbeat and happy. I am so grateful to her and her unconditional love. Thank you for being my rock, and my foundation through this spiritual and trying time. I love you with all my heart and I dedicate this song to you.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYNOXRifXKQ" target="_blank">I'm Gonna Love You Through It</a></div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-75015495812767947532012-06-30T17:04:00.003-07:002012-06-30T17:32:01.380-07:00Home from the Hospital<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I went into the hospital on June 26th and came home yesterday on June 29th. This second round of chemotherapy wasn't as bad as the first because we were able to get ahead of the nausea. Since Gloria and I spent our anniversary in the hospital it made sense for me to spend my birthday there as well. It was a good one though. I usually take a walk around the pond at McKay just to get out and get some fresh air. As we were preparing to go down I saw that some of the family was down there and I just figured they were going to meet me down there to talk my walk. What a wonderful surprise to find my grandma, aunts and uncles, parents, and brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews. There was a lot of my family there. My nephew Logan had an idea to bring 31 balloons for being 31 years old and towards the end of the b-day party each person got a balloon to send up to heaven as a prayer to help me through this and to help my family as well. Its moments like these that it becomes so clear why you have to fight and give everything you've got to become triumphant over trials and challenges. Its because of family and wonderful bonds of love and understanding that go hand in hand that make it worth fighting and moving forward. <br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-11106320674405540022012-06-30T16:55:00.000-07:002012-06-30T17:26:06.010-07:00June 23rd - Annual David H Whitesides Golf EventWhen my brother Ben and I were younger we use to go golfing for Father's Day with my dad and with my grandpa or Papa as we so lovingly called him. It was a great time for us to bond and have fun. Although I think the funnest part was listening to Papa curse when he would whiff or slice. He was sincerely upset sometimes at how he played so it was even funnier trying not to laugh, but who wouldn't laugh at hearing your grandpa say "hells bells" or "hell almighty" or "dammit all." Those are memories that I will be forever grateful for.<br />
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About three years ago my brother Ben and I talked about getting a tradition going with all the Whitesides brothers and of course dad to go golfing at least once a year around Father's Day. It has been an awesome bonding time together and it is something I look forward to all year long. This year was no different. We weren't going to let the cancer get us down and we golfed all nine holes and I was impressed with myself going all the way. Of course I slept quite a bit after but it was definitely worth it.<br />
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This same day after having a great time golfing, we went up to my parents house for lunch. What a surprise when I found the whole family there waiting to congratulate me on getting my MBA. My graduation was to be in Portland, Oregon on June 16th, but because of the circumstances of the cancer and treatment, if wasn't possible for us to travel up there so my family threw me a party here which was a lot better being surrounded by those that I love most.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3Yf4zH8JyvpE0v8nkt0W7IrLOfJwgYwMHnPUff5h8fipsuxW2uTd4XKdKBuWZKGD3gSgwnIjgYQCF-kYkfvhJq5hNT6srmzUTddPTJ6kNsj7Yw81Y3fay7p3FODxwMAC4XnKLl8Rhw/s1600/DSCN0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3Yf4zH8JyvpE0v8nkt0W7IrLOfJwgYwMHnPUff5h8fipsuxW2uTd4XKdKBuWZKGD3gSgwnIjgYQCF-kYkfvhJq5hNT6srmzUTddPTJ6kNsj7Yw81Y3fay7p3FODxwMAC4XnKLl8Rhw/s320/DSCN0439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-81053682865831303092012-06-30T15:09:00.001-07:002012-06-30T15:09:28.168-07:00June 19th through 22nd - More ShotsMy white blood count continued to be low so I was in the doctor's office everyday of this week getting a shot to boost it up. It wasn't that bad as it was time consuming finding the right time to go up to Ogden for the shot because this week I also returned to work and worked about 20 hours this week. The important thing to remember is the white blood cells are your body's defense system against infection and sickness so if they are too low and you get sick, it is a lot worse than just your common cold etc. There was one downside effect from the shots and it is that they make your joints and bones sore as the shots stimulate the growth of white blood cells. I'm happy though that with just a shot they can get the count back up so we can stay on schedule for the treatment.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-38736611622852188112012-06-18T20:47:00.001-07:002012-06-18T20:47:35.374-07:00White Blood Count BlahToday I went to get my white blood count tested again because it was a little low last Thursday. I went in and had it tested in it was even lower. In fact my platelets are producing next to zero white blood cells so they had to give me a shot, and I will be getting shots all week in hopes that they can raise the white blood count otherwise I will have to postpone the second round of chemotherapy until it is stable. I was given the same instructions to avoid the crowds and especially even more shaking hands. I have a semi-important meeting I need to attend tomorrow and there will be lots of people so I've decided I will take hand-sanitizer and wear a mask. Maybe I can scare them by saying I have SARs or Swine Flu, but then the CDC would probably come in and quarantine me so I'll just let everyone's imaginations race as to why I have a mask on. This is just a small bump in the road and I am confident that we'll be able to start the second round next Tuesday as planned. Thank you again for all the prayers, thoughts, love, support, and good energy. Keep sending it our way because we can honestly feel it and it is helping me more than you know. Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-15643499712437428012012-06-18T20:41:00.001-07:002012-06-18T20:41:27.591-07:00Father's Day...Awesome!Today was my first father's day as a dad. It was one of the best days in so many ways. I was able to get lots of kisses from my beautiful wife Gloria and my Zoe Cakes. Gloria had traced Zoe's hand in my card and it melted my heart. She also gave me a pillow that says "My Dad is My Best Friend." Needless to say today I have been kind of a cry baby but tears of happiness and gratitude. Being a husband and father is the greatest role I could have ever hoped or asked for.<br />
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I went to Church today and it was a great to hear uplifting words and prayer. It reinvigorates me for the coming week ahead. I followed the doctor's orders though and to avoid a lot of contact I arrived late and left early even though I would have loved to stay and shake heads and shared hugs with all the wonderful members of the Emigration Trail Branch. They have been so wonderful. In the LDS culture people always say that the congregation that you go to is a ward or branch family and that has ever been so true as they have been there to mow the lawn, weed the garden, bring wonderful meals, clean the house, and just to let us know they are thinking about us and how much they love us. We feel very blessed to be a part of the Emigration Trail Branch Family. We Love You Too Emigration Trail! <br />
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To finish this post, thinking about Father's Day I had time to think about my own father or Pops as I call him. I was so emotional today that all I could manage was a text to him telling him how much I love him and that he has been and always will be my HERO! I can say that all the good in me as a husband and a father is because I watched my dad all of those years how he treated my mom and us kids. My dad taught me the importance of service and doing it because you love people. For about two or three years were were home teachers together and we really didn't teach very many lessons in all those years because we were always busy serving the families we were assigned by helping fix things. My dad is a jack of all trades and instead of putting on our white shirts and ties, we usually went home teaching in our work clothes, with tools in hand ready to fix an air conditioner, a swamp cooler, a fence, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and an array of other things. Pops, thank you for teaching me what it means to truly serve others!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-2852113696709926092012-06-14T18:25:00.001-07:002012-06-14T18:28:16.980-07:00Update - June 14, 2012I thought that I would get on here and give everyone a little update on what is going on in the Whitesides family. My nausea has been off again on again kind of like Rachel and Ross and believe me I wish the nausea and I were on a break...so I have started taking the anti-nausea medicine again and I seem to be doing great. I went to get my white blood count done today and I was told it was a little low and not to be alarmed. I have to get it tested again on Monday. The nurse was really nice and gave me a few instructions and said I should take into the account the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Wash hands frequently</li>
<li>Avoid large groups</li>
<li>Avoid touching your face</li>
<li>Watch for fever</li>
<li>Watch for cold sweats</li>
<li>Wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant</li>
<li>Avoid shaking hands</li>
<li>Avoid hugs with those that are not immediate family</li>
</ul>
I had to list these because some of them are random and some of them are funny. Like avoid touching my face, how am I going to pick my nose, shave, put my contacts in, or manscape my eyebrows...<br />
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Avoid shaking hands and hugs with those that are not immediate family, don't they know that I go to a Spanish branch. Handshakes there are a minimum but hugs and kisses are expected, I guess I'll have to skip church for another week so as not to make anyone feel bad ha ha.<br />
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On another note, I went to work today. Yes that is right, I drove myself all the way down to Salt Lake City, and worked for about 4 hours. I felt like that kid who leaves home for the first time on his way to kindergarten. It was great to give my mind a break and get down to work on a few things that were pending there. Everyone was awesome and super nice to me. It was a great day to say the least. I was careful though to not handshake with anyone and I definitely did wipe down my desk, computer, mouse, etc.<br />
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Unless something else really eventful happens in the next few days I will post again on Sunday.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-31773605914886841892012-06-10T15:25:00.003-07:002012-06-10T15:25:26.897-07:00Nausea, Skinny Bones, and Feeling BetterWe haven't posted anything since Wednesday or Thursday mainly because I haven't been able to concentrate on writing because of all the nausea from the chemo-drugs. I would have to say that this is the worst part of the treatment is the nausea. However, I think I came out on top and won this round because I did not throw up and I have managed to eat regular food. The nausea didn't hit me until Wednesday and has continued pretty much through Saturday. It seems I continue to lose weight and I am probably just being self-conscious but I think I'm becoming too much of a skinny bones. The best way to describe it is I feel I have the rear end of an 80 year old man...completely flat and/or non-existent. It could always be worse though, I could be on the other end of the spectrum and have a booty bigger than J-Lo's. Hopefully I'll be able to get some walking and exercise in this next week to start rebuilding my physique that can only be compared to that of Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson's. Overall today I am feeling a whole lot better then I did when I got home on Friday and I take that as a good sign that things are looking on the up and up.<br />
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I have talked a lot about faith in my other postings and it just seems to be the perfect theme for my batter with cancer. I read President Henry B. Eyring's talk from the previous LDS General Conference. He said "many of you are now passing through physical, mental, and emotional
trials that could cause you to cry out as did one great and faithful
servant of God I knew well. His nurse heard him exclaim from his bed of
pain, when I have tried all my life to be good, why has this happened
to me?”<br />
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I think that is safe to say that we've all felt that way at some point in our life. However, I do not believe that it is the attitude that we should have. President Eyring states that long before these trials come our way we need to build a strong foundation of faith in our lives. He stated that "<b>if the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble</b>." This happens through making right choices. Some of the things I can think of are obeying God's commandments, being a loving husband and father, and serving others. <br />
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Towards the end of his talk, President Eyring recounts his mother's battle with cancer. At her funeral it was said that they passed through this trial not because she had done something wrong, but because God wanted her to be polished just a little more. I have thought about that many times and if I am being polished to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, I accept that and the Lord's will and I will continue to put my faith and trust in the Lord's hands.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-54160325188246092032012-06-07T11:31:00.000-07:002012-06-07T11:31:29.466-07:00Extra Extra! Read all about it!This time we will let someone else tell the story! <br />
<a href="http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/06/06/thymic-cancer-patient-throws-head-shaving-party" target="_blank">http://www.standard.net/<wbr>stories/2012/06/06/thymic-<wbr>cancer-patient-throws-head-<wbr>shaving-party</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-6048640127767200862012-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:002012-06-07T11:33:02.210-07:00Going strong!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jona proves again to be an amazing warrior! 30 continuous hours of chemo and still going strong!! We are almost half way done for this cycle! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-42846217060307086782012-06-04T21:28:00.001-07:002012-06-05T12:33:03.181-07:00Time to Lay the Smackdown - ChemotherapyToday we went to see Dr. Johnson this morning and everything looked good on my tests to start chemotherapy and so we decided why wait, lets take the fight to this lame weak tumor and lay the smackdown on it here and now! Tomorrow I will start chemotherapy at McKay-Dee. I will be there for three days in-patient and then home by Friday to recuperate. I am anxious to get this going and positive that it will be successful.<br />
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Today we had our head-shaving party and if this tumor only saw how much support I have, it would be wetting itself out of fear of what is going to happen to it. Today we counted around 38 wonderful people of family and friends that either shaved their heads, or cut off ten inches or more of their hair. It was a very touching and humbling experience. The only reason I didn't cry is because this was a fun and happy gathering, but had I cried it would have been because of love, gratitude, and admiration for the army that I have in my corner. In total we had around 90 people show up and had a great time shaving heads, cutting hair, eating food, and swimming. I am hyped and charged with such great energy, and love and support that tomorrow I go to the hospital not afraid, but eager to get one step closer to kicking cancer's butt! Thank you for all of your love and prayers, keep them coming because that is where we get the strength to move forward. <br />
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<br />Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-90383571362016874862012-06-02T09:12:00.003-07:002012-06-02T09:12:54.703-07:00Quick Update - June 2, 2012Just a quick update for those of you wondering what has been going on since Wednesday. The port-a-cath was inserted successfully and all is well with it. Thursday, Dr. Johnson's office called and cancelled the appointment because he was sick and so Monday I will have the appointment and will more than likely start chemotherapy on Tuesday or Wednesday.<br />
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Today my partner in crime, Gloria will be getting her hair cut to donate her beautiful hair to Locks of Love. I think that is awesome! I know that women really value their hair and so for Gloria to do something like that is very admirable. This will coincide with the head shaving party scheduled for Monday at my parent's house from 4-7 PM. If anyone is interested in joining us, please message me on Facebook or my cell phone and I'll get you the address. Until Monday, have a great weekend!Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611590403869895815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4091634078908972748.post-25139087723829068092012-06-01T09:37:00.003-07:002012-06-01T09:37:28.818-07:00From Gloria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jona.. you are my Rocky!<br />
<br /> I think it will be a total failure to even attempt describing my “Rocky” and how AMAZING he is in all extend of the word! While I read over and over again every single one of his entries on this blog I just get chocked up and overwhelmed with gratitude for having the honor to be his wife and partner in crime. Tears come to my eyes as I look through pictures remembering the first time we met and the beautiful memories we have made together. The Popular saying “Time flies when you are having fun” applies to us as we celebrate Nine years of marriage. When we were in Puerto Rico a few years ago I had told him that as long as we were together on our anniversary day it didn’t matter what we did or where we went. I think life tested my words since we spent our anniversary at the Hospital yesterday and I am SO glad I was able to be with him … if my stomach was a little stronger I think I could have clinged to the Cardiothoracic Surgeon’s leg or begged the anesthesiologist so they would take me in with Jona and not leave his side. In all reality being together is all that matters to me.<br />Jona expresses his love for me every day a few times per day and I never get tired of his sweetness. I will never forget May 5th while he was on the hospital bed, coming out of the anesthesia, being barely able to move or talk. With two drains on his stomach and a horrendous chest tube nonetheless with a big wound from the invasive surgery on his chest when Dr Goff gave him the news that his tumor was malignant and he had cancer…. I was expecting a face of disappointment or some sort of comment/reaction from him. I mean… that’s what you expect when you get bad news right? I had mentally prepared myself to give him strength and tell him that everything will be fine. To my surprise when the doctor gave him the news his first reaction was to immediately look at me, grab my hand and ask me if I was fine… seriously? He was there in pain with a tremendous fight ahead of him and he could only think of me and ask me if I was fine? I just smiled back at him and told him I was and that I was ready to fight with him! Acts do speak louder than words and I am so blessed to have such an amazing warrior by my side! I know we will win! I know we will come out stronger from this! I know we are not alone and we have an army on our corner giving us the strength we need to keep moving forward and more than anything our loving Heavenly Father WHO ALWAYS KNOWS BEST! I have unbreakable faith that Jona WILL be cancer free! And I am looking forward to that Day! In the mean time.. we will learn from this since we have been thrown in the refiners fire for a pretty good dang reason! We will one day sit down and look back at this as one more thing we overcame together! I love you with all my heart and soul my Rocky! You are out of this world!!!! CHEERS to many earthly years to come and an eternity together! I love you to pieces!<br />
GloriaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1