Prayers for Thomas Carmichael

[tomale]

Team Carmichael, this is great news... If I was not so tired from working all day  out side and then go on a 1 1/2 bike ride (bicycle) I would be jumping up and down...

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)

[firstturn]

Good day for Thomas.

From Clinta - Today was very peaceful and calm.  Thomas is still incredibly weak.  Earlier this evening, Thomas tried to transition to his wheelchair and was unable to make it.  We had a near miss and he almost fell but fortunately, Trey was able to keep him over and close to his bed.  In the end, he did not fall or have any missteps but we learned that his strength has not returned yet.  

Thomas has eaten well today and his demeanor is subdued but not depressed.  He is anxious to get his strength back and regain energy so that he can return to some of his previous activities.  

A big thanks go out to Mike Gasque, who again has provided us with absolutely delicious bbq and ribs.  The food is excellent and we really appreciate it!  

No special plans for tomorrow, just rest again, gearing up for next week.  Please pray for Thomas's strength and for Hannah, Trey and I to be effective caregivers.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[Mick Milakovic]

It's hard to believe that three months have passed since Thomas' trials began.  Tom, we all thank the Lord for your progress, and continue to pray for you.

Mick

[firstturn]

Thomas is still very weak but I'd like to think that he's making the turn towards getting a little stronger.  I was able to talk him into sitting up for about 5 minutes tonight and we're planning on trying to do a transition into the wheelchair tomorrow night.  His appetite still remains weak but I think that as he regains some of his strength, his appetite will come back also.  

Today, while I was working in my Charlotte office, Thomas's parents, brother and sister-in-law came for a visit.  They didn't stay long because they didn't want to tire Thomas and Thomas said that he thinks he may have slept some during the visit.  Hannah and Trey, one or the other were with Thomas all day so he was well cared for during my absence.  

It's so incredibly helpful to me to be able to go in to my Charlotte office and surround myself with my wonderful co-workers and boss.  They are so supportive and kind.  It helps to re-energize me and keep me focused and motivated.  I hope for those of you that work, you have the same nurturing and endearing work environment that I do.  To say that this experience is and has been tough, would be a gross understatement, but it has been so much more bearable because of my company's compassion for their employees.

The physical therapist called this evening and wanted to set up an appointment to come tomorrow.  Thomas is in no shape to be able to undergo PT so I've told her to wait and tentatively look at Thursday.  They actually wanted to come out over this past weekend which would have been a joke!  

I'm hoping that Thomas and I get some good sleep tonight.  By 5:30 this morning, I had already cleaned the carpet under his bed due to a spill, changed his sheets, given him a bath, his pills, breakfast and 2 loads of laundry.  I'm tired!  

As always, thanks for your faithfulness to stay in touch with our day-to-day life.  This summer, Hannah is taking 3 college classes and working full-time and Trey is working full-time also so you can imagine how appreciative I am of their dedication and selflessness to help out their family during this time.  I am so blessed by my family!    

We appreciate your support and prayers!  Please pray for Thomas's strength and spirit.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

From Clinta - It's a tough time right now.  Thomas has not bounced back as quickly as the doctors had predicted from his radiation treatment.  Generally speaking, (with medical science there are no pat rules, only averages or generalities), all radiation patients have a down time following the last radiation treatment.  The average time frame is considered two weeks but again this is an average and not set in stone.  This down time can be filled with extreme side effects and almost always excessive fatique.

Since coming home from the hospital, Thomas has declined with both fatique as well as his mental welll-being.  He is extremely depressed and literally has no energy to do anything.  If Trey is at home, he is able to get him up to a sitting position, but it's just for a few minutes and then he has to lay back down.  I'm no longer able to lift him up.  Before he went into the hospital, he was able to assist me with his mobility but he's unable to help at all right now.  

He's so frustrated with being stuck in the bed and yet we don't have the capability to get him moved into a wheelchair.  I called his radiation oncologist today to ask her about his fatique and she explained that although 2 weeks is the general rule for seeing the turn-around there can be other factors at play.  For some patients it may take 3 or 4 weeks to see a recovery and yet still, for others they don't recover their original strength at all.  

The most important thing for Thomas right now is rest.  He's eating, not much but enough to sustain him.  He's struggling with being able to sleep.  I will talk to his regular oncologist about that tomorrow.  

If any of you have any ideas of something we can do or get him to help with his depression while in bed, please post them.  He's not into reading books at this time, doesn't have the patience for books on tape, not interested in movies or crossword puzzles or games.  Even though I know that he enjoys visitors, he has asked that I tell people to wait and come see him when he's better.  Unfortunately, what happens when he has a visitor is that he will muster up enough energy to be vaguely involved in a visit but then he will crash after someone leaves, the benefit doesn't outweigh the repercussion.  

I can tell you that my children have been a lifeline for me and especially Thomas.  I don't know what I would have done without them because I think none of us know truly what we are capable of until we are put to the test.  This has certainly been the toughest test of my life and my children have been exposed and involved in scenarios that adults who have lived a lifetime have not seen!  

My awesome and precious friend, Mary Patskoski stopped by this evening with 2 very yummy quiches and a pound cake.  The food was so good but the best gift Mary gives me when she comes over is her heart and her ear, I am so blessed to have her in my life!  

I know I sound like a broken record asking for prayers for Thomas's strength.  I don't know what God's plans are but certainly the best and most worthwhile prayer is asking for God's will to be done because at the end of the day, that's what ultimately is the plan.  Team Carmichael is so appreciative of all of our caringbridge readers, we love you!  


Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

Good Day for Thomas.

From Clinta - We've had a good Saturday, all things considered!  Thomas has sat up a couple times in the bed today which is the best he's done since before he was in the hospital a week ago.  Sitting up in bed is the extent of his physical exertion but it's a huge improvement over the last 10 days.  He's not quite as depressed as he's been, but his demeanor is still very lethargic.  

Getting him to eat is still a challenge.  I repeatedly tell him that he has to eat to get his strength back and he will engage the motions as if to participate in eating but in the end, very little food will have been eaten.  Each time I try to get him to eat, I will ask him what he feels like, make suggestions to try and entice him with something he really likes.  This morning, after mentioning it to him 2 or 3 times, I took a banana in to him and he did eat that.  Today, he's eaten a banana, a poptart and a few bites of chicken bog, probably a total of 300 calories or so.  Tonight again, I said, you tell me what you want to eat and I'll get it for you and surprisingly, he told me a club sandwich which was somewhat unexpected but if it eats it, I'll be thrilled.  Trey just got home with it, (I sent him to The Clock to pick one up since I didn't have bacon, lettuce or tomatoes), so as I finish this I will go sit with him while he eats.  Keep your fingers crossed!  

I feel that he has had a slight improvement to his energy or strength and that's so wonderful.  I'm hoping that tomorrow, he will get a little more.  His interaction is suppressed but I think that more reflects on his weakness and depression.  

Thanks for staying with us and being there!  We are so blessed to have all the friends that we do!  Please continue to pray for Team Carmichael!  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

I am sorry that I have not posted on the caringbridge site.. I have tried to post and it does not allow me to... Be assured that I have not stopped praying.. I will bring it before my church tommorrow morning... May the Lord be your ever present help and strength. The beauty of the Incarnation is that God is not just in Heaven but with us, In Us, if we believe...

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)

[firstturn]

Good news and thanks for all your Thoughts and Prayers.

From Clinta - I am so excited that I can actually report some good news tonight.  Thomas is still super fatiqued BUT he ate more today than he has in 10 days!  For breakfast, he ate a fried egg sandwich, (I slipped 2 eggs in instead of 1) on whole wheat toast, he ate all of the eggs and most of the bread.  For lunch, he ate a 1/2 peanut butter sandwich.  For dinner, I suggested his favorite, steak, baked potato and salad.  I cut the rib-eye in half as well as the baked potato and he ate the entire half of the steak and about half of the half of potato.  He ate a few bites of the salad so he had a full meal tonight!  I'm so glad!  

It's interesting because this morning at the crack of dawn, he asked me if this is what the rest of his life will be like, meaning lying in a hospital bed, completely bed-ridden, unable to do for himself.  I responded by telling him that everyone is waiting on him to get his strength back so that he can get OUT of the bed!!
I think that he's been so depressed that he couldn't envision any other life but the existence that he's had since coming home from the hospital.  I think our conversation made a difference, even though he has slept almost non-stop for 2 days now which I'm sure has also helped.  

Thomas is still quiet, subdued and doesn't want to converse much but again, I'm sure the fatique is the culprit.  I haven't noticed any difference in his strength but if he continues to eat the way he did today, I'm sure that his strength will follow.  We discussed him being able to transition into our car by June 1st for his oncologist appointment so I think it helps to have a goal.

Thanks for being there for Team Carmichael, we are so grateful for all the support and prayers that we have received.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

Good news and thanks for all your Thoughts and Prayers.

From Clinta - I am so excited that I can actually report some good news tonight.  Thomas is still super fatiqued BUT he ate more today than he has in 10 days!  For breakfast, he ate a fried egg sandwich, (I slipped 2 eggs in instead of 1) on whole wheat toast, he ate all of the eggs and most of the bread.  For lunch, he ate a 1/2 peanut butter sandwich.  For dinner, I suggested his favorite, steak, baked potato and salad.  I cut the rib-eye in half as well as the baked potato and he ate the entire half of the steak and about half of the half of potato.  He ate a few bites of the salad so he had a full meal tonight!  I'm so glad!  

It's interesting because this morning at the crack of dawn, he asked me if this is what the rest of his life will be like, meaning lying in a hospital bed, completely bed-ridden, unable to do for himself.  I responded by telling him that everyone is waiting on him to get his strength back so that he can get OUT of the bed!!
I think that he's been so depressed that he couldn't envision any other life but the existence that he's had since coming home from the hospital.  I think our conversation made a difference, even though he has slept almost non-stop for 2 days now which I'm sure has also helped.  

Thomas is still quiet, subdued and doesn't want to converse much but again, I'm sure the fatique is the culprit.  I haven't noticed any difference in his strength but if he continues to eat the way he did today, I'm sure that his strength will follow.  We discussed him being able to transition into our car by June 1st for his oncologist appointment so I think it helps to have a goal.

Thanks for being there for Team Carmichael, we are so grateful for all the support and prayers that we have received.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

that is great news, it is what I have been praying for... and will continue to do so.. everyday and everytime I think of all of you, which is several times a day..It is 9 am and cool out side but I have to pull myself from this chair and go finish painting a house... Blessing on all of you this day
Thomas you are a lucky man to have such a great family and so many great friends..

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)

[firstturn]

From Clinta - There hasn't been much change today with Thomas's strength or hunger.  Going forward, we will be getting some assistance from a Home Health care agency.  The RN will come in once or twice a week to check on Thomas medically and a Home Health Care aide will come 5 days a week to assist with changing sheets, baths and general care.  This will be very much appreciated by the kids and me as well as offer Thomas some relief from having to look at our ugly mugs all day!  

The RN today tested Thomas to see if he can transition into a wheelchair and he was unable to assist at all.  He has a doctor's appointment next Tuesday that if he doesn't get stronger, we will have to take him in by ambulance.  It would probably be safer to transport him that way anyway.  The doctor is insistent that he come in because at this point, the only treatment available for him is a short blast every 28 days, for 5 days of chemo.  I told her about his situation but she has to see him before prescribing.  A lot can still happen between now and next Tuesday so I'm going to remain very optimistic that he will be strong enough to transition into the car.  

Today, I uploaded 12 pictures of different stages of Thomas's life.  Like me, he hates to have his picture taken so I didn't really have a lot to choose from, especially recent pictures.  I've got a baby picture of him all the way up until a picture taken last year. They are on the Photos tab so if interested, check them out!  

Thank you for being loyal to us and for always coming back to this post, it is very meaningful to us!  Please keep Team Carmichael in your prayers.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

After you read this you may call Thomas' cell phone and leave him a message.  Thanks.

From Clinta - Today the Home Health Care company came in and replaced the bed and wheelchair that Thomas had with their own equipment.  The "new" bed is so much nicer than the bed he had previously, bigger with a lot more bells and whistles.  I had purchased several sets of twins sheets for the old bed but his new bed uses full size sheets so he now has a lot more room.  This bed is also using an air mattress that has air tubes that will inflate and deflate continuously in different places to help with any risk of bed sores.  

I was excited about his new bed but I couldn't get Thomas to join in with any kind of enthusiasm.  If anything, I would say that today was a very down day for him.  He is extremely depressed, rightfully so, and I'm feeling very inadequate in being able to get him through this.  He doesn't understand why his strength is not coming back and he's very fearful that he will not be able to get back out of the bed, new or not!  

I told him that each day we will have a new goal and if he is able to achieve it, wonderful, if not, no big deal but at least he has something to focus on instead of looking at the global picture.  Tomorrow, our goal is for him to be able to sit at the end of his bed without falling.  He tried today to do that, but was unsuccessful, literally falling 3 times.  It made me nervous since Hannah and Trey weren't here with me, so I told him that we would do it tomorrow night when we had back-up.  

Today he's eaten 5 chicken fingers from Zaxby's, an Ensure and 5 powdered Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts.  His food intake is still well below what it needs to be, but I'm thrilled that he ate this much.  He told me he wanted something called YooHoo so I went to the store and got a carton of it.  Personally, I'm thinking it's nasty but if he likes it, I will be very happy.  I offered to make him a glass earlier, but he didn't want it then, he'll probably drink some tomorrow.  

Mary Patskoski came by today with blueberry muffins, chicken salad and croissants.  She is always so thoughtful and on top of that, made a bank deposit run for me so I wouldn't have to leave the house.  Thanks Mary!

I'm trying to think of ideas that might help Thomas with his depression or at least raise his spirits.  So, if possible, I would really appreciate it if you would call his cell phone tomorrow between 10AM and 2PM EST and leave an encouraging message  for him.  I will take his phone from him and turn it off so you should go straight into voice mail and then over dinner, I will play the messages back for him.  To reach him on his cell phone please call 864-901-0854.  

Thank you for being there for Team Carmichael, we acknowledge it and are grateful for it.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

Thanks to those POG Brothers that were able to through and leave a message on Thomas' voice mail.  You made a differece....and for those of us that couldn't get through I am going to try again today.  If you call just tell him what you are doing on your Penton or what you are doing for Memorial Day to recognized theBrave People that have ensured our Freedom.

From Clinta - What a wonderful surprise for Thomas when I played 14 encouraging, inspirational, funny and poignant voice mail messages for him today.  There may have been others that tried to leave a message and his message box was full.  He was so happy to hear all the messages, one of the first smiles I've seen in quite a few days!  I was blown away by how impactful the messages were and I can't thank the 14 people who called in enough for taking the time to call!  Please forgive me if I get your name wrong or misspell it;  Special thanks to Dwayne and Barbara Pittsenbarger, Cindy Yarborough, Diane Bagwell, Shamelle Young, Michael and Cathy Weisner, Roger Kirk, Jamie Phillips, Bill Hamby, Patrick Houston, Nelson McCullough, Ric Emmal, and Thomas's brother Terence.  This was so successful that going forward, I will turn off his phone each day from 10AM to 2PM EST so that if anyone would like to leave a message for him, I will play them for him while he eats dinner.  Again, his cell phone number is 864-901-0854.  

Today, Thomas's new Home Health Care aide came over, her name is Dee.  She's a tiny woman and when I first saw her, I had serious reservations regarding her ability to maneuver Thomas, but it was short-lived!  This woman is a powerhouse.  She whipped him around like he was a noodle.  But, she is such  a blessing and will be going forward.  Thomas had told me this morning before she got to the house, that he wanted me to stay close by, he was nervous about meeting a new person.  (Since being diagnosed, Thomas has become increasingly more anxious around strangers.)  I assured him that I would be there with him but trust me within 15 minutes of her visit, he didn't even know I was in the room.  

Dee gave him a bed bath that was amazing and put anything that I've done and called a bed bath to shame.  Then after bathing him with a very warm wash cloth from head to toe, she dried him and then put lotion over his head, chest, arms, hands, legs, back and feet.  He was in heaven.  She shaved off his beard, (I had told him that he was starting to look like a blonde Burl Ives), and was able to change the sheets while he rested comfortably.  It was an incredible experience for Thomas and if he had any reservations about an aide coming to the house, (and he did!), they are gone now.  She was absolutely fabulous and we love the nurse also.  

We're sad now that tomorrow is Saturday because Dee won't be back again until Monday.  She is working on Monday even though it's a holiday and asked us if we wanted her to come back and I told her, if you're working and want to come, sure, please come back.  She's getting time and a half holiday pay so it helps her too.    

Thomas's bath and massage was so good, it totally wiped him out.  He went to sleep at 1PM and slept straight through till 8PM tonight.  He's never done that before but my Mom always said, if you sleep that much, you probably needed the rest.  He had a blueberry muffin for breakfast and an Ensure, slept through lunch and then for dinner tonight, I've very excited to report that he ate 12 fried shrimp, french fries and then had a bowl of Butter Pecan ice cream.   Well, it wasn't so much Butter Pecan anymore since in a funk last night, I ate most of the nuts out of the container but thankfully he likes vanilla ice cream too.  He didn't comment on the lack of nuts but I just referred to it as ice cream without giving it a type.  

I can't really report that his strength is better per se but his spirits are and I'm happy for that.  He didn't sit up in the bed today as we had originally planned, (I offered to sit him up for dinner but he said that he wanted to pass and sometimes when he first wakes up he's still weak so I didn't push it as I normally would do), but we can try again tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's support and prayers.  We are blessed to have you in our life.  We love you!

Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

As you can see in this update Clinta and Thomas still continue to help others.  Thanks for your Prayers and phone calls.

From Clinta - It was a restful and peaceful Sunday, not much to report.  Thomas is still not sitting up but he has eaten much better today.  For breakfast, he had a blueberry muffin, for lunch a Quarter Pounder with cheese, small fry and a vanilla milkshake, (ate everything but did not finish the shake) and for dinner he ate a good serving of a chicken noodle casserole and a slice of pecan pie.  For those cynics out there, no I did not eat the pecans off his pecan pie!!

He didn't sleep much today but that could be because he slept enough for a week the last 3 days!  He's frustrated because I'm having to deal with our kitchen faucet being broken.  With something like this, Thomas would have it fixed and up and running literally in less than an hour once he purchased the parts.  Unfortunately, I'm not mechanically minded enough to even fake knowing what to do.  I've already kind of blown it because our faucet and sink are stark white and when I went to Lowe's the only ones they had were silver, so that's what I brought home.  Now, that I've got it at home, I'm looking at the silver faucet and sprayer and then my sink and I'm thinking that's really going to look bad.  In my world, it would be like wearing a striped shirt with polka-dot pants, not good!  

So, at the crack of dawn tomorrow, I will go to the competition, Home Depot and hope they have a single handled faucet and sprayer that's white.  My friend Donna Lazar's husband is coming over in the morning to try and replace it for me.  I had bad dreams last night that I would wake to the Carmichael Fountain going full steam in the kitchen.  If Thomas could get in the wheelchair, between the two of us, I might be able to figure it out, but I just don't know where the wood glue goes!

I'm so glad that Dee is coming back tomorrow.  Thomas has asked me both yesterday and today if she was coming, so he can't even fake that he doesn't enjoy the bath and shave.  I'm super glad that he is not nervous about it anymore.  I have a surprise for her tomorrow; she is going to be on vacation the following week and had said that she wanted to take her kids to the Riverbanks zoo in Columbia so since I'm a AAA member, I went online tonight and I am surprising her with tickets for her and her kids to go.  I can't wait to see her face when Thomas gives them to her!  

Only one more day left in our holiday weekend so make the most of it!  Enjoy your day off, (I hope you don't have to work but if you do, be thankful for your job!), and thank a veteran if you see one!  Continue to pray for Thomas!  We love you!


Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

From Clinta - It's hard to believe that we're closing down on our holiday weekend, they all go by so fast.  I know that two of my friends, Donna and Jeff Lazar did not get to spend their Memorial holiday, at least the first part, doing anything fun at all.  Donna and Jeff came bearing biscuits early this morning, (Thomas ate a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit and 2 blueberry biscuits, wow!) and got started right away on replacing my kitchen faucet.  Jeff was the project manager but Donna was his right hand assistant with holding the sink and using a putty knife to take off all the old caulk.  (Not only are they a great married couple, but they actually work well together!)  

You might be wondering what I was doing while all this was going on and sporadically, I would say, "is there anything I can do to help?" but I'm thinking that they felt that things would go just a little smoother with me in another room!  While they were working, Dee came by to give Thomas his bath and change the sheets.  She was so incredibly excited about the Riverbank Zoo tickets that she hugged both of us twice!  (We like hugs!)

Tonight, Thomas finished my doggie bag left-overs of a hamburger steak, (they call it Roadkill at Texas Roadhouse) and my stuffed baked potato.  I had also gotten him a peanut butter cookie from Starbucks so he had that for dessert.   All-in-all, Thomas has had an incredibly good day regarding eating.  He seems very confused and remains weak, but eating is such an integral part of healing and feeling better that I'm happy that at least that has improved.  

Tomorrow, we go to the doctor's.  Thomas will be transported by ambulance so that will eliminate any worry of his falling in the driveway again.  I think the doctor's visit is going to be uneventful and quick but I will be sure to update you on tomorrow night's post!

Enjoy your Sunday evening.  Say a prayer for Team Carmichael!  We appreciate it and we love you!

Ron Carbaugh