Robert had is blood work done yesterday and his white blood count is at 11! Which is what it needed to be to start chemo. Hurray! On Monday he will go to Hays and have his CT Scan done. They will also put in his port for chemo.
Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers!

Good Morning! Just wanted everyone to know that Robert is doing good. He still does not have an appetite, hopefully that will come back before he has to start chemo. They will be going to Hays to get a CT Scan done this week. They will also be getting his blood checked to see what his white blood count is doing it has to be below 11 before they can start chemo. I will let you know the date and times of his appointments as soon as I know them.

I just wanted everyone to know that they are having a blood drive in Scott City on Oct. 23 from 8am -2pm at the William Carpenter Building. You can call for an appointment or walk-in. 1-800-448-3543.

"A Cancer patient can use between 10 and 20 units of blood and 10-50 units of blood platelets for treatment. Help ensure cancer and leukemia patients have the blood they need to fight this horrible disease."
As everyone knows Robert has already received blood once, if you can please give blood it does help save a life. If you don't live in this area check with your local Red Cross to find out where to give.
Thanks to everyone for all that you do!
Jill

It is so good to be home for a few months, hopefully! Robert is on meds to hopefully take care of the infection. When we get the OK from Dr Kendrick at Mayo after his white blood count is down below 11 and anther CT scan, we will start Chemo. We will probably take it at Hays, Ks. It will be one day a week for three weeks, than one week off, and then another three weeks and then another week off. After that we will head back to Mayo for 28 treatments of radiation or 5 1/2 to 6 weeks.Please keep my best friend Diana Griffith and her family in your prayers. Her Mother, "my other Mom" died Sat, Oct 11th. Her funeral is Tues, Oct 14th @ 10:30 a.m at the Baptist Church in Scott City.Thanks again to everyone for all that you have done for us. We will always remember your thoughtfulness, love and prayers.Love, Robert & Roxie
October 12, 2008 1:27 PM

Robert & Roxie have made it safely home!
Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers as they travel on this journey. Reading the comments everyday helps keep them in touch with everyone and helps keep their spirits up.
They have begun to put the towers up so I am sure that Papa and Rowdy will be out checking them out tomorrow.

We are headed home!!!!!!!!!!! Yea!Two more weeks of antibiatics because white blood count is still @ 17.5. Then if blood count gets to normal, we will start chemo at Hays, Ks. We will check blood at home and also have CT scan somewhere closer to home.Pray for safe travel.Love and prayers, Robert & RoxieSee ya when we get home. We are ready to be there.......... Posted by Roxie to Robert Berning at October 7, 2008 2:29 PM

We finally got done for today about 3:30. Walked around all underground. Lots of shops but very pricy!!!! This place is amazing and a MAZE.Robert is in bed exhausted.We will have to be up at 5:30 in the morning as we have to have blood drawn at 7:05 a.m. and then appts the rest of the day, so it will be a LONG day........Good to hear from all of you.Better get back to the room before he starts calling looking for me.Love and prayers, Rox
October 6, 2008 5:15 PM

What a place!!!! I hope you never have to experience it but if you do it is something else. Tunnels everywhere to walk to the different buildings. Thank goodness because it is raining out and the temps cool.Have to be back at the blood draw tomorrow morning at 7:05 because they are doing a research on him and it required fasting from midnight on. The other blood work was only fasting for two hours before so they will do it all tomorrow. Oh well, we will get it done.We are waiting right at the moment for the CT scann.If you ever think you have problems, just spend a few days up here and you will see how really lucky you are......... Always someone in worse shape than yourself. Count your blessings!!!Jeanne, please tell Karla she is in our thoughts and prayers and that I did get her msg on the phone before we left. Makes you wonder if our area has something to be aware of when it comes to cancer??????Glad the towers will be making their way towards Marienthal. Maybe that will give Robert something to watch and occupy his time when I go back to work and harvest is going on. Can't keep him out of his pickup...... Too much to check on!Will keep you all posted.Love and prayers,Roxie Posted by Roxie to Robert Berning at October 6, 2008 11:56 AM

Our schedule today:ll:30 a.m. Hilton Bld - Blood tests12:05 p.m. Gonda Bld - CT Scan3:00 p.m. Mayo Bld - Chest x-rayTues, Oct 7, 20088:15 a.m. Gonda Bld - Oncology Evaluation11:00 a.m. Charlton Bld -Radiation Consultation1:45 p.m. Mayo Bld - Dr Kenrick, surgeonLooks like we can get to all the buildings in the subway so we don't have to go outside if the weather isn't nice. I did get a wheelchair from the hotel as the Hilton building is quite a ways and Robert wears out easily so I can just use it.Hoping to see the underground mall.Do you think I will be allowed to do any shopping????? Just joking, don't have any extra cash anyway! ha! This VACATION has become a world class adventure.....If we get out of appts in decent time tomorrow, we will maybe try to get down the road a little ways.It is almost 800 miles home! Pray for good weather as we travel. It is stressful enough without the wind and rain. Lots of wind farms up this way.I found this computer across the road in the Methodist hospital. Sure is more handy than going to the Grand Kahler.When we come up for radiation, we will maybe stay at the Hope Lodge.It is a place like the Ronald McDonald house for cancer people.Maybe this afternoon we can check it out. Looks like a nice place.We know from experience how nice a place like that can be. When Robbie had his broken neck, the Ronald Mc house was a lifesaver. That is always our choice of charity donations.....Wishing everyone a good Monday.Hope the stock market isn't to bad today.Love and prayers, Rox Posted by Roxie to Robert Berning at October 6, 2008 8:42 AM

I have Robert settled in his "KING" size bed. We arrived in Rochester about 12:30 p.m.He wanted steak so we stopped at Out Back Steak and he did eat most of his steak. I finished it off.There is no free internet at our hotel so I walked down to the GRAND KAHLER to use this one. Couldn't beleive ours didn't have one. Oh, well, I'll probably be to busy to use it anyway the next two days.Guess I'll go back and either pay bills and get things caught up or start reading a good book that my friends from Edward Jones sent to me. "Keeping Faith" by Jodi Picoult.It is overcast and cool here. About 57 degrees. I'm not a cold weather bird so I don't like it, but I'd better get use to it if I'm going to be here in Dec.....Hope to see everyone soon when we get home for more than a few days.I'm ready to get back to some kind of a norman schedule.Love and prayers,Rox Posted by Roxie to Robert Berning at October 5, 2008 3:19 PM

We made it to Des Moines, Iowa last night about 6:30 p.m.Long drive but today should be shorter. We should get to Rochester early and will go to the Hotel and relax before the two stressful days of appointments and then the long road home again.I did work Friday at the office and it felt good to be back for a few hours of what use to be normal.Hopefully I can get back on track after we get home and see what the chemo schedule will be. R.T. has been very good to me but my sick leave and vacation time is running out. Corporate is who we both have to report to. R.T.'s Dad died last Sunday so I went to that funeral on Wed in Cimarron. No stress in his life either with that and then the stock market ups and downs and me being out of the office!!!! The gal from Colby came down last Thursday and covered the office with our on-call so that was a lifesaver with both he and I being gone. They buried his Dad in Texas so he had to do that Thurs and we had Dr appt in Leoti.Will keep everyone posted when we know more about what our schedules will be.Thanks for everything........Love and prayers,Rox Posted by Roxie to Robert Berning at October 5, 2008 8:39 AM

Good Morning! Robert and Roxie will be leaving for Rochester tomorrow. Robert's appointments are Monday & Tuesday. Hopefully they will be getting a schedule for Robert's Chemo. Robert's pancreas seems to be working now because he is not taking insulin and his levels seem to be staying down. They are between 100-120 which is perfect. Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts as they travel back to Rochester. Thanks again for all the support.