FIGHTER

Ryan's Obituary

2010-09-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Ryan's obituary came out in the ArgusObserver newspaper today. it can be found online. We look forward to seeing those of you who can make it on Saturday at 1pm Fruitland High School as we celebrate Ryan's life.

Ryan

2010-08-26T11:58:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Ryan is working on completing his fight. He is comfortable, pain free and has said his goodbyes. Our boys have been here with us talking with their daddy and have been so strong. Brody has his first day of kindergarten tomorrow and this was a very important day for his Dad. I believe that he will see that through and then begin to find our spot in the mountains in Heaven. Ryans family is here with us and are doing well. They have been so stong as well. Thank you all for your love and support, you have all made such a difference in this journey. Please know that today, we are all at peace and know that Ryan will continue to teach us. We will see him "Just around the corner". All is well. I am following this with his favorite reading.

-Ashley

**Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am. I and you are whatever we were to eachother, that we still are. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used to. Put no difference in your tone; wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together pray, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort without the trace of a shadow in it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity, why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, somewhere very near just around the corner. All is well**

Thank You Fruitland!!!

2010-06-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday's Benefit was an AMAZING success!!! The morning started off with the Golf Tournament. We had 37 team of 4 people attend. Thank you to all our golfers and hole sponsors!!!

Dinner was a HUGE success. We had over 400 guest and over 100 auction items! I thought all of you who donated or attended the event might like to see what the auction items sold for. Also below is a list of our other sponsors.

Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a special day! It is because of all of you this turned out as wonderful as it did. I believe it was a life changing event for not only Ryan and his family, but all of us who were so blessed to be there. Ryan and Ashley are truly and inspiration to us all! Happy Birthday 30th Ryan!!! We all love you both VERY much!

Amber

Live Auction Sale prices

Ste Chapelle Winery - White Wine Basket w/Concert Tickets $80
Country Corner - Full Size Weighted Basketball Hoop $230
Deb Gardner - Hand Made Quilt $175
Eric Collet - 4 Piano lessons $70
Weiser Classic Candy Co. - Basket $110
Jesse Presher - Deer Wall Decor $150
Plaza Restaurant - Pie of Choice $85
Redlin Photography - Family Session and Print $550
Makin Bacon Farms/Tommy Evers - ½ Pig (Butchering provided by NW Premier Meats - Tim & Debbie Brown (Smoking not Included) $200
Katia Boudreau – Home Décor Sign $270
Country Corner - Electric Scooter $280
Sierra Gardner - Collector Wine Set $280
Hammer Store - Coke Lim. Ed. Guitar Wireless Controller (only 4 ever made) $420
Stan Flowers - Hand Made Picnic Table $1,100
Minda Jacobson - Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake $165 Donated back to Ryan
Rob Coddens - Diesel Chip for 06-07 LBZ Duramax $225
Chad Holaday & Natalie Blume -Martha Stewart 4 pc Patio Set $375
Tim Huff DDS - "Zoom" in Office Tooth Whitening $300
Conrad Bischoff - 5lb Hershey Bar (sold 4 times) $150 $240 $150 $100
Wild West Marketing - Martin Bow $400
American NW Outdoors - St Croix Steelhead Fishing Pole/Shimano Reel $350
Diane Holaday – ‘Fighter’ Scentsy Gift Basket $425
Makin Bacon Farms/Tommy Evers - ½ Pig (Butchering provided by NW Premier Meats Tim & Debbie Brown (Smoking not included) $325
Thomas Kinkade Picture $170
Magic Valley Distributing - Wine Basket $250
Dr Carroll - Vasectomy $330
Brandon Jennings – Craftsman Toolset with Bag $280
Phillips Auto - 1995 Pontiac Bonneville 4 Door Sedan $3,000
Minda Jacobson – Halekulani Coconut Cake w/ French Vanilla Cream $175
Kevin & Stacy Stephens - 2 Night Stay for 8 at Porcupine Lodge, Ashton, ID $400
Ben Cottier – 2010-11 Idaho Steel Heads Hockey Suite for 12 $800
Vonnie Paul - Hand Painted Water Color Elk Picture $500
Shawn Daniels & Sara Muirheid - NFR Tickets and Behind the Scenes Tour in Las Vegas DEC 2-11, 2010 $575
Jesse Presher - Fighter Wall Decor $325 Donated back to Ryan
Travis Leaonard, Aspen Timeshares - 7 Night Stay for 8 in McCall $1,600 Donated back to Ryan
Ste Chapelle Winery - Red Wine Basket w/Concert Tickets $220
Sun Valley Resort - 2 Night/2 Day Ski Pass at Sun Valley Resort $850
Bob Jennings - Signed Basketball by Utah Jazz & Country Corner - Weighted Basketball Hoop $275 Hoop donated back to Ryan
Echanis - Corona sign $125
Dr. Thornfelt and CT Derm – MedSpa & Consultation $225
Jordan Gross - Signed NFL Gear $1000 then reauctioned $1600 donated to Ryan
Bottle of Wine $200
18 hole Golf lessons & Cobra Driver $350
Wine $150
Goose Hunt & Decoys $675
Oct Aspen Timeshares $1000

Silent Auction

Body Shop - 3 Mo. Gym Membership $45
Jesse Presher - Deer Wall Decor $45
Fit for Life - 1 yr Gym Membership $75
Silver Bit Steak House - Dinner for 2 $60
Jesse Presher - Dog Wall Decor $95
True Value - Pot hanger $40
Kandice Dickinson/Lissa Munn -Pampered Chef Pitcher & Chopper $50
Snake River Vet - Weekend Boarding & Vaccines $50
Kathy Sorensen - Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings $45
Angie Rynearson - Cut and Color $20
Howard Landscaping - 10 Lawn Sprays $75
Holy Rosary – Cross Necklace $30
Diane Holaday - Scentsy ‘His’ Basket $115
Diane Holaday Scentsy ‘Hers’ Basket $85
Joan Hagon - Pampered Chef $95
Joan Hagon - Pampered Chef $75
Tanya Boles - Premier Design Jewelry $40
Karen Sheppard - Spa Manicure and Pedicure $60
Electric Beach - Spa Kit $85
Kimber Kurt - Handmade Beaded Watch $55
Gateway Inn - 1 Night Stay (any room) $80
EZ Mart - Wine Basket $50
Dr Martin Shoes of Choice $85
Dr Martin Shoes of Choice $85
Warson Brands Florsheim Shoes $95
Warson Brands Florsheim Shoes $90
Gale Farrow - Afghan & Shelf $30
Cody Lloyd - Handmade Watch $35
Robin Crowley-Mize - Handmade Necklace $25
Robin Crowley-Mize - Handmade Earrings $15
Outdoorsman - Dog Bed and Clifford’s Dog Grooming Gift Certificate $50
Chris Kodama & Shawna Pierson -iTuSE Reusable Bags $35
Dixie Peterson - 4 hrs House Cleaning $135
Plaza Restaurant - Pie of Choice $30
Flying V Saddlery - Jerry Vincent Handmade Purse $30
Sunset Lanes - 10 Lanes of Bowling $40
Reece Distributing - 10 Speed Huffy Bike $130
Conrad Bishcoff - Gatorade Cooler on Wheels $50
Blossom Shop & Tea for Two - Plant $15
Jim Jones - Season Family Pass for TVCC Mens Basketball Home Games $40
Brenda Ishida - Boy Bag, Chair & Beach Bag $40
Brenda Ishida - Girl Bag, Chair & Beach Bag $65
Winegar Farms - 2 Cords Wood (cut and delivered w/in 30mi of Fruitland) $110
Flower Trunk - Flower Arrangement $10
Rolling Hills Golf Course - 18 Holes and Golf Cart for 4 People $60
David Boles Golf Pro - 3 Golf Lessons & Srixon Star Golf Balls $35
PPG Car Wash - Bucket w/ Products and Limited Edition Poster & Conrad Bishcoff - 3 Large Chamois $50
Heart ‘n Home Caldwell - BSU Cooler $130
Vals Floral – Silk Floral Arrangement $35
Carisma – 1 Hour Therapeutic Massage $55
Morning Star Cantrell – Color, Cut, and Style $20
Houston Photograpy - Photo Session and $200 in Photos $65
Sheep Dog Supply & Ammo - 5 Boxes of Ammo $185
Karli L’Heureux – Hair Color and Hair Products $50
Becky Suitter – Scentsy Gift Basket $65
Becky Suitter – Scentsy Gift Basket $60
Becky Suitter – Scentsy Gift Basket $70
Heather Flores – Tupperware Gift Set $35
Oregon Natural Market – Vitamin Gift Set $30
Beatrice Carrol - 3 Hrs of Counseling no bids
Jeff Attebery – Chinks $100
Echanis – Hamms Sign $120

Hole Sponsors

5 Star Carpet cleaning

Advanced Health Care Corp.

Aspen Dental - Dr. Justin Smith DDS

BC Sales Co. Inc.

Bob Richards

Bonnie Kent

Bridget Swenson & Family

C&I Properties

Chris Macaw

Christi Garman

Cindy Kiser

Coley's Glass

Dan & Karen Yraguen

Dan Weibold Ford

David & Bridget Velarde

Denise & John Evey

Dental Health Care with Heart

Derrick & Gorane Stormoen

Diamond Gallery

Four Rivers Anesthesia

Francesco Gelsomino

Fruitland Fire Department

George Nicola, MD - West Idaho Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Halcom State Farm Insurance

Hammer Store

Heart ‘n Home Hospice & Palliative Care

Heather Nasker

Holy Rosary Emergency Department

Howard's Landscaping

Jeanie Harris

Jim Olympius

Joe Peltir Workwear

JRS & Associates

Labels Etc

Lauren Surmeier

Legacy Home Health & Hospice

Les Schwab

Lisa Schmidt - Dr Martin Shoes

Majestic Glove

Marc Iseri, MD

Marilyn Torget

Mike Alexander & Family

Minda Jacobsen

Minit Market

NBSP

Nick and Trish (Bieker) Weber & Kids (Kate, Jake, & Noah)

Norma Dickerson

NorthWest Specialty Paining

Pam Hancock

Paula Tschirgi

Prism Stripes

Purdum's Produce

Randy Olivier

Red Steer Glove

Rick Holaday

Robert Coddens

Robert Leach

Ronald& Beatrice Carrol

Ross Teitelbaum & Family

Sarah Slabaugh

SCG Sheetrock LLC - Corey George

Signs Now

TA Welding and Machine

Tim Davis

Todd & Sarah Stice

Tom & Linda Arkoosh

Treasure Valley Anesthesia –

Aaron Gopp, CRNA

Treasure Valley Womens Clinic

Trenkel Bros.

Tri City Physical Therapy

Virginia Fernandez

Food Sponsors

Budrich Potatoes - Potatoes

Country Kitchen - Butter

Darigold – Sour Cream

DJ's Restaurant – Salad

Frito Lay – Chips for Golf Tournament

Greg Bieker & BC Sales Co. - Ribeye

Greg Bieker & BC Sales Co. - Beer

Harden Sanitation - Garbage Cans

Lofthouse – Cookies

Paul's Market – Chorizos for Golf Tourn.

Red Apple - Bottled Water

Schwans – Ice Cream Sandwiches

Silver Bit & Spur Steakhouse – Rolls, Honey Butter, and Baking of Potatoes

Sizzler – Salad Dressing

Swire Coca Cola – 11 cases Coke Products

TIC - Dinnerware, Paper

Products, & Seasonings

Wingers – Salt & Pepper

Additional Sponsors

BC Sales

Biz Zone - $50 in Printing

Care-O-Sell Gift Certificate

Conrad Bishcoff - 3 Large Chamois

DJ's Restaurant - $40 gift Certificate

Fiesta Guadalajara - $30 Gift Certificate

Guardian Lawn Care – Basic Lawn Fertilization Program

Heart ‘n Home Hospice & Palliative Care - Printing of Benefit Flyers

Norms Dry Cleaning - $20 Gift Certificate

Rusty’s - $20 Gift Certificate

Signs Now Boise – Sponsor Signs/ Banners

Raffle Items

Angie Warnke - 60 min Massage

An Angels Touch - $100 for Tattoo

Shoreline Pest Control - $150 Gift Cert.

Amy Caviness - Paradise Pedicure

Big O Tire - $100 Gift Certificate

Mahlon's Lawn Care - $100 Lawn Care

After the benefit counting the profits

Benefit Dinner

2010-06-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

1st Annual Ryan Holaday Benefit Dinner. We will be serving ribeye steak, baked potatoes, salad and homemade rolls and honey butter. We are so excited to see you all on Saturday June 19th at 5pm at Howard's Nursery in Fruitland. Ticket's can be purchased for $25/person on this blog or at the door. There will be a live auction following the dinner. We have got some GREAT auction items. Here's a few:

Live Auction

Eric Collet 4 Piano lessons

Wide West Marketing Martin bow

American NW Outdoors St Croix Steelhead Fishing Pole/Shimano Reel $700

Country Corner Full size weighted basketball hoops sunkist logo

Country Corner Full size electric scooter

Conrad Bischoff 5lb hershey bar

Dr Carroll Vasectomy

Redlin Photography Family session and print

AspenTimeshares 7 night stay for 8 in McCall 208-634-7028

Sierra Gardner Collector Wine Set Sierra Gardner

Plaza Restaurant Pie of your choice

Ben Cottier Idaho Steel Heads Suite for 12 2010-11

Tim Huff DDS "Zoom" In office tooth whitening $600 value

Hammer Store Coke Limited Edition Guitar Wireless Controller

Winegar Farms 2 Cords of cherry wood cut and delivered w/in 30miles of Fruitland

Stan Flowers 4x8 Hand Made Picnic Table

Rob Coddens Diesel chip

Bob Jennings Signed Basketball from Utah Jazz

NFR NFR finals tickets in Las Vegas

Cave Falls Retreat 2 night stay for 8 in Ashton, ID

Heart 'n Home Caldwell BSU Basket

Dixie Peterson House Cleaning

Minda Jacobson Cake

Jessy Presher Fighter Wall Decor

Jessy Presher Deer Wall Decor

Jordan Gross Signed NFL Gear

Phillips Auto Car

Flying V Saddlery Jerry Vincent

CT Derm

Brandon Jennings Fastenal Tools

Sunset Lanes 10 Lanes of bowling

Diane Holaday Fighter Scentsy Gift Basket

Micron Employees Putter and Balls

Reece Distributing 10 speed Huffy Bike

Conrad Bishcoff Camping Kit

Conrad Bishcoff Gatorade Cooler on wheels

Ste Chapelle Winery Red Wine Basket w/Concert Tickets

Ste Chapelle Winery White Wine Basket w/Concert Tickets

Makin Bacon Farms/Tommy Evers Pig for butcher

East Side Floweriest Plant

Flower Trunk Flower Arrangement

Blossom Shop & Tea for Two Plant Plant

2 nights lodging/2 day ski pass at Sun Valley Resort
Chad Holaday/Natalie Blume Martha Steward Patio Set

Silent Auction

1 Angie Warnke 60 min message

2 An Angels Touch $100 Gift Certificate for tattoo

3 Fit for Life 1 yr gym membership fit for life

4 Silver Bit Steak House Dinner for 2

5 Shoreline Pest Control $75 gift certificate

6 Shoreline Pest Control $75 gift certificate

7 Kancice Dickinson/Lissa Munn Pampered Chef basket

8 Snake River Vet Weekend Boarding and vaccines

9 Amy Caviness Paradise Pedicure

10 Mahlon's Lawn Care $100 Lawn Care Gift Certificate

11 Angie Rynearson Cut and Color Gift Certificate

12 Howard Landscaping 5 lawn sprays

13 Howard Landscaping 5 lawn sprays

14 Diane Holaday Scentsy His basket

15 Diane Holaday Scentsy Hers basket

16 Norms Dry cleaning $20 gift cert

17 Tanya Boles Premier Design Jewelry

18 Karen Sheppard Spa Manicure and Pedicure

19 Electric Beach Spa Kit

20 Kimber Kurt Hand Made Beaded Watch

21 Fiesta $30 Gift Certificate

22 Gateway Inn 1 Night stay any room

23 DJ's Restaurant $40 gift Certificate

24 Dr Martin pair of shoes of your choice

25 Dr Martin pair of shoes of your choice

26 Warson Brands Florsheim Shoes of your choice

27 Warson Brands Florsheim Shoes of your choice

28 Gale Farrow Afghan

29 Gale Farrow shelf

30 Cody Lloyd Hand Made Watch

31 Robin Crowley-Mize Hand Made Necklace

32 Robin Crowley-Mize Hand Made Earrings

Body Shop 3 month gym membership

True Value Pot hanger

Kathy Sorensen Jewelry

Sierra Gardner Wine Basket

Rhynos Carpet cleaning Carpet Cleaning for 2 rooms

Joan Hagon Pampered Chef

Big O Tire $40 Gift Certificate

Big O Tire $60 Gift Certificate

EZ Mart Wine Basket

Jessy Presher Deer Wall Decor

Conrad Bishcoff Camping Kit

Conrad Bishcoff 3 Large Chamois

Dale Stevens 2 hrs property maintenance

Katia Boudreau Sign

We will also be celebrating Ryan's 30th birthday!!!! There will be a live band following the auction. Please come and join us.
Thank you.

Ryan Holaday Benefit Dinner has been changed!!!

2010-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Please click on the flyer below for details

"FIGHTER" posted by Amber (Ashley's sister)

2010-05-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

When we started this process of creating an event to raise money for Ryan's care, Ashley told me that if we raised $5,000 she would shave her head. I knew that would be easily obtainable because of the amazing family, friends and community we live in. I told her, "You better shoot a little higher Sis. We will raise that easily. How about if we raise $20,000 you shave your head?" She said, "Nope, $5,000." We all know you don't argue with Ash when she sets her mind to something, but I honestly thought she was kidding. Well, two days ago I was going over our donations and we had $4,800. The past week the checks have finally started to pour in. I have been getting several each day, plus the paypal. I called Ashley and asked her if her razor was sharp because by tomorrow I was SURE we would have $5,000. She said "SERIOUSLY!" I gave her a list of all you wonderful friends that have donated, sponsored holes, and bought slots for the tournament. She put me on speaker and made me repeat everything to Ryan. They were SO excited!!! She said to Ryan, "Honey, looks like I am shaving my head." I reminded her that I though she should shoot higher. She said NO she said $5,000 and that is what she meant!

The next day I had set up a meeting set up at 5:00 with some fellow volunteers that are helping me with the fund raiser. Ashley called and told me she would be there at 6:00 to shave her head. I have to admit I tried to put her off on doing it, but again, you all know Ash. She, Ryan, the boys, Ryan's family, and our family showed up at 6:00 ready to go. She was seriously going to have Ryan shave her head.

When the time came it didn't go as smooth as we thought it might. It was a VERY sobering, emotional moment. There was MANY tears shed. It was so amazing to see th strength Ryan and Ashley have, and the love they share. This terrible trial has brought them together in a way that cannot even be explained. Before Ryan shaved her head he tearfully told Ashley what an amazing, wonderful wife she is and how much he loves and appreciates her. She told him that he has been the most wonderful "FIGHTER" she has ever seen. That shaving her head was nothing compared to all he has gone through.

When Ryan finished shaving her head he kept telling her over and over, "Honey, you are so beautiful. Isn't she beautiful?!"

I am so proud of Ryan and Ashley. I must say Ashley, you can pull off being bald. ;) We love you both!!!

Me kissing her hair goodbye

Pain Pain Go Away :)

2010-05-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after two days of Ryans pain being uncontrolled at home, the Dr admitted him to St Lukes Downtown. His pain in better today and they are trying to get his cortisol levels figured out. He had a MRI yesterday to look for infection in his spine since he has had a lot of pain there and a high fever. The results are that his cancer has spread to the T12 level of his vertebrae. We are waiting on the information from the Rad Onc to get started on radiation of that site as well. They will start this today, since they are worried that the tumor would make him paralyzed since it is laying on his spinal cord.
We have an amazing view from our presidential suite (broom closet) of the ER and have completely enjoyed the sounds of the chirping birds(machine alarms) and the four star linens on his bed and my cot, and are looking forward to a few more nights in paradise. On a serious note, they have done well today getting his pain under control and he is talking and feeling much better today.
Until Later!
Love, Hope, Faith!

Ryan Holaday Benefit Golf Tournament!

2010-05-05T14:49:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture flyer below

SAVE THE DATE . . .Ryan Holaday Benefit Golf Tournament

2010-05-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

1st Annual Ryan Holaday Benefit Golf Tournament!!! River Bend Golf Course in Homedale, ID, June 19th at 8am. $250/4 person team. Dinner included. Benefit auction to follow. $100 minimum to sponsor a hole. We are also looking for donations for the auction. If you aren't a golfer, you are welcome to attend the dinner. It will be $25/person. Registration deadline for the golf tournament and dinner is June 12. We will also be looking forward to celebrating Ryan's 30th birthday at the golf course!!!

Ryan is 29 and has stage 4 adrenal cancer. He is married to Ashley Bieker Holaday and they have 2 boys. Brody, age 5 and Kolby, age 3. Ryan had a major surgery in November to remove a 5+ pound tumor, a kidney and his gallbladder. He and his family went to Chicago for 2 months to undergo a clinical trial which was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, we recently found out the tumor is back, about the same size, and the cancer has mets to his liver. Ryan is currently undergoing radiation.

All proceeds will aid in his care. Register online at http://www.theholadays.blogspot.com/ or call Amber Stice at (208) 880-9940 or Zach Bieker at (208) 739-8543.

Thank you all SO much & we love to you all!

Radiation Radiation Radiation . . .

2010-05-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Radiation has been tough. Monday was day 1 of 14 treatements. Ryan walked out of the radiation vault feeling great, and I was shocked that he was out so quickly- nothing like chemo. We went home afterwards and Ryan wanted to go into Boise. We made it as far as Middleton when Ryan started puking along side of the freeway, and then it began. Radiation sucks! We now have it somewhat figured out. Before each treatment(daily) he goes in for fluids, anti-nausea and pain meds through his port. This has made all the difference in the world. When we saw his Rad Oncologist Friday she explained it like this-
Ryan's tumor is pressing up on his stomach and when they radiate the tumor, it also radiates his stomach. This is also causing the stomach to fight back and thus the reason he is so pukey. She said that this radiation would be miserable, thanks to the location of the tumor, but she is hopeful that when the 14 days are complete he will have good pain relief.
Yesterday he ate a great breakfast and we celebrated food by going to Texas Roadhouse.(Ry's favorite restaurant)
We are looking forward to next week. Ryan's Grandpa is coming to visit for a while. It has been 3 years since we last saw him and Barbara. The boys are looking forward to seeing Grandpa Burr!! Monday will be day 6 and the half point will soon follow. As much as we love all the nurses at MSTI, it will be extremely nice to not spend the majority of each day with them :):) We need to get ready for camping season!! YAY!!

April 19th 2010

2010-04-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever since I last updated this. Life has been a bit hecktic and I haven't had the chance to get to this. This process has had so many up and downs.

Ryan started round 2 of his chemo last Tuesday. He has been such a trooper and done much better that expected. He manages through the day to day nasuea, and never complains :)
This past weekend I had a Board meeting in Sun Valley for work. Ryan had chemo every day last week, so we didnt know if he would feel up to going with me. Friday, he went in for his chemo and got his fluids and steroids. After we loaded in the car and headed to Sun Valley YAY! We stopped on our way down for some lunch, and he was feeling fairly well. By the time we got there he was starting to feel crummy. He thougth it was from a big lunch. Saturday he was still not feeling well. He said he felt gassy and uncomfortable. Saturday evening we headed home. During the night Ryan woke me up because he was hurting so bad. I called his oncologist and he said to take him to the ER. They gave him some pain meds and something for his nausea and then did a cat scan.

The cat scan showed that his tumor on his adrenal bed has grown, and is pressing on his spleen, stomach and diaphragm. His lymph node by his Vena Cava has also grown in size. After a day to absorb this nightmare, we called his regular oncologist this morning to come in for an appt and gather a new plan. It is looking like he will start some radiation to help decrease the size of the tumor and help with the pain.

Today is a better day. Ryan's pain is better, we are still working on fine tuning this. We saw the Radiation Onc NP and spoke with his Dr in Michigan. His Drs are going to check to see if surgery is an option to decrease the size of the tumor. We are pretty sure this is not an option. Tomorrow we see the medical oncologist. We are not yet sure if he will finish his chemo tomorrow. Wednesday we see the Radiation Oncologist to get a final plan. They will review his scans in Michigan again next Tuesday at their tumor board to determine what other avenues could help.

We want you to know that we are doing good. Ryan is an amazing pillar of strength and gives us all the strength to continue through the bad days. We welcome your phone calls, emails and visits and want you all to know how much we love you all. We are so appreciative for the support system you all have given us.

Love, Hope and Faith!!
The Holadays

Round 1 completed

2010-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ryan has completed round 1 of his chemo. He has had good days and bad, but overall has done better than expected. Yesterday he got out of the house to take a drive with his mom and the kids. He didn't do so well on the drive so we ended up going in yesterday for fluids and change in his anti-nausea medications. His Dr is hopeful that next week will be better and he will be able to resume some of his regular activities.

Today he is doing well so we are looking forward to spending some time in the backyard catching up on yard work. Hopefully spending some time in the sunshine relaxing in his favorite camping chair supervising will be just what he needs to jump start a great week. :)
We made a deal that I would be in charge of all yard work-JUST THIS YEAR- but next year it's returns to being his baby!! He laughed and agreed.

We have all learned that laughter is the best medicine and helps us get through the bad days. I am so thankful for the wonderful man that he is and how strong he has been through all of this. We continue to appreciate each and every one of you everyday and talk about how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends and family to lean on.

April 13th is the day to starts the next round! We have had lots of questions and hesitations about visitors and want you all to know that we welcome visitss and calls anytime. We all enjoy the company, so come ANYTIME. The only stipulation is no sickies! :):)

Love to you All!

Day 2 down!!

2010-03-17T18:19:00.001-07:00

Ryan had his first dose of chemo yesterday and tolerated it well. They gave him 2 different kinds and lots of other meds in the mixture. We spent most of our day there.
Today he went in for his 3rd type of chemo. He will go back in tomorrow and Friday to get this kind again and then they have him resting the weekend and Monday. He will return again Tuesday to get the first 2 types again. Wednesday is an injection to boost his blood count, and then he rests until April 13th and starts again with the same cycle.
So far he hasnt had much for symptoms besides being extremely tired. He did wake up this morning and tried to drink a cup of coffee- notice I said tried. He said it was terrible. Very unusual since we both enjoy our coffee alot.
We continue to thank our blessings. Today we are thankful for the minimal side effects. Thank you Lord!!
~Until tomorrow :)!

The Port Is In

2010-03-10T19:12:00.001-08:00

Ryan had his port put in this afternoon and is home resting now. He did very well- Dr said his skin was very thick- I wanted to be smart and tell him that it has to be to handle all of this, but instead I smiled pleasantly and nodded. :) I'll update after Tuesday when he starts his first dose of chemo.
We want to again thank all of you who have been so concerned, and so helpful to our family. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Update

2010-03-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not posting anything for the past few weeks. We have been busy adjusting to being home, dr appts and enjoying the nice spring weather until today- it was chilly!
We had our appt with the oncologist today to get results from Ryans CT he had yesterday. The results show that Ryans cancer has grown in his liver and on his adrenal bed. He will be starting the Italian Protocol regimin of chemo on Tuesday. This will consist of 4 different types of chemo given on a set schedule. We will know more on the schedule after Tuesday. Tomorrow he goes in for surgery at 12noon to have a port placed in his chest. This will allow easier access when they give him his doses and to give fluids and other meds as needed.
We will let you all know how things go as we know more.

Treatment Plan

2010-02-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

We are still unsure of the treatment plan that we are going to do. Today we were given 2 options, both of which do not give a chance of cure or remission, the purpose of these would be to keep his cancer from spreading further. As of today, there is no cure, but we are determined to raise awareness on ACC and treatment options. We keep reminding ourselves that there once was limited options for breast cancer too. The first option is a pill most commonly given for pin worms (so not funny) I told Ryan if he took that and started scratching his butt on the carpet we were gonna have big problems-tear - tear :( The other option is systemic chemo called the Italian Protocol. This is a combination of 3 different chemo drugs given together. Both have definate pros and cons. Ryan started the pills tonight to start with until we visit with our oncologist at home on Tuesday. This was a lot to take in today and we definately need some time to ponder.

CT Results

2010-02-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

Ryan had his CT done this morning in Michigan City instead of Chicago since the weather has been so bad here, and the staff of University of Chicago has been a nightmare. The mass on his adrenal bed has not changed in size. The radiologist confirmed that Ryan has metastisis to his liver and the 3 lesions have increased in size since his last scan 6 weeks ago. They also found 2 additional lesions on the liver. Thanks to the great staff at University of Michigan, they were able to scramble and get us in to see Dr Hammer and Dr Worden tomorrow at 12n. We will leave first thing in the morning to head to Michigan. We will then know what the plan is for treatment. What a relief to know that we are again back in competent caring hands.

We are looking forward to coming home on Saturday! As soon as we know the treatment plan we will update you all.

Counting Down the Days

2010-02-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

We are scheduled to come home one week from today, and we are sooooooo excited. Ryan has his CT in Wednesday, and we will return to the Dr on Thursday to get the results. We are hopeful that this treatment will work and life will continue on hectic and wild :) with trips back and forth from Idaho to Chicago every other week!
We sent Diane off yesterday to head home. We all have missed her today, but are so glad she was able to come and see us. Oprah was awesome!! The show will air on Wednesday. We didnt see the cameras pan into the audience, but if you watch we are sitting behind Oprah 3 rows up in the aisle seat. What an amazing experience. Celine was amazing and Oprah and her staff truly seem to be of the giving type. We were not able to personally meet them, but the experience was awesome!
We are both looking forward to being able to return back to work with all of you that we enjoy so much. Life has not been the same without our extended families-we miss you all!!!
Ciao for now! I will post results as soon as we have them. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we move forward into this week. It is definately nerve racking, but we are taking one day at a time and praying that Thursday will bring us good news!
Love to you all!

Diane has arrived

2010-01-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

We picked Diane up at the airport this afternoon. It was so nice to see her. The boys are in hog heaven!
Ryan had a rough day today. He is having some neuropathy in his feet and the ringing in his ears has gotten worse. Today he was considering stopping his chemo for a few days to see if that would make his "irritations" go away. He did take his dose this evening and we will continue to push through these difficult days. We are looking forward to the next few weeks flying by so we can come home to see you all that we miss so much! If we find out next Thursday that this treatment works, we will have to fly into Chicago every 2 weeks for treatment and Drs appts. We are not looking forward to this, but if works, we would fly to Antarctica!
We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful support system and we love and miss you all so very much!!

I told her

2010-01-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I told Diane that we would be going to the Oprah show and Celine would be there. After we rolled on the floor together, we both cried. Its not only exciting for us to go and experience Celine and Oprah, but it will be emotional for us since Celine already has that effect on us without the current sittuation we are in. Celine and her husband made it through cancer together, so what an inspiration to our family!!!

OPRAH HERE WE COME!!!!

2010-01-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

WOW- I cannot even tell you how excited I am. Ryan and I were looking at shows in Chicago and dreaming about going to an Oprah show. This is fairly impossible anymore since she is in such high demand. They had a list of shows being done next week and it said- "Are you a Celine Dion fan" Oprah is looking for special guests to attend her show who are Celine fans and have a story. THAT'S ME!!!! Ooohhh pick me pick me!!
It just happens to be that Ryan and I have always talked about taking his mom to a Celine Dion show in Vegas when she was there, but never had the chance to. Oh- wouldn't be awesome if she was here to see her-OMG! So I opened the link- live show with Celine Dion taking place Feb 3rd- special guests must be able to be present on this day! HOLY S*%$ Ryan's mom will be here that day- she's flying in tomorrow.
So I entered the email that we should win the tickets and be Oprah's special guests! Diane would drop over dead(okay not really but close!)
And then the phone rang . . .
"Is this Ashley Holaday?"
YEEEESSSSS
"This is the producer from the Oprah Winfrey show, I am reading your email and would like to know if you could be here at 11am to be a special audience guest for the Celine Dion special of the Oprah Winfrey Show?"
YES, WE COULD WORK THAT OUT (holding back from rolling on the floor and screaming)
"Okay, be here by 11am for your prep, please do not wear white or beige as it does not look good on camera. Oprah would also like to invite you as a guest to the prescreening of Celine's new documentary on Tuesday night if you both could attend."
YES, WE WILL BE THERE
"Thank you, see you then"
Okay by now I am jumping up and down screaming- Celine-Oprah are you kidding me AHHHHHHHH!
Now I need to go buy an outfit, since jeans are not acceptable-shoot! Magnificent Mile here we come- (just kidding Ryan!!)

University of Chicago Appt

2010-01-29T07:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was appt day in Chicago. Ryans Dr reviewed labs with us and so far those all looked good. Ryans liver enzymes increased again. Dr said that it could be from the chemo drugs going through his liver so not to worry at this time about spreading disease growth. No increase in chemo dose again since Ryan has had some toxicity symptoms and his body is just not ready for another increase in medication dose. He currently is taking 4 in the am and 4 at night.
Infusion went well. He recieved his final dose of IGF in the first cycle. Next appt we will know if it is working. He will have his CT in the 10th with results given at our appt on the 11th of Feb.
Communication will be much better with them as well. We had a serious conversation about what we needed from them, so I am hopeful that this will improve dramatically.
We are excited for tomorrow! Ryans mom is flying in to see us. The boys can hardly wait and Ryan and I are just as excited. Hopefully we will be able to go to the aquarium or do something fun with her while she is here.
Feb 13th is the official date- WE WILL BE HOME!!!!! YAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
Much Love to you ALL!!!

Tomorrow is Treatment day and Dr Appt Day!

2010-01-27T16:06:00.001-08:00

Genetic Test Results

2010-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

We recieved the results back from Ryan's genetic testing. He has NO P53 Gene mutations. THis means that his cancer is not genetic. WAHOO!!!!!
The flip side is that this is a freak cancer, but isn't all cancer that way~it knows no age, race, or gender.
We are so very thankful that we will not have to have the boys tested as they thought before. The Lord continues to work in mysterious ways in our life, and we are so thankful for the good news.
Love to you all!

Kids Say the Cutest Things

2010-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

As we were tucking the boys in tonight, I overheard the cutest conversation between Ryan and Brody~
Ryan was changing into his "comfys" when Brody said:

"Daddy, what are you doing?"

Ryan replied back "changing into my comfys buddy."

Brody says " But daddy those are your work pants, you can't wear those!"

"Well then, Im going to work" said Ryan

"But Daddy, your a Doctor and you have a cut on your belly . . . Doctors are not supposed to have cuts on their bellies daddy, why do you have cut on your belly?" Brody said with great concern.

Ryan replies " Well son, sometimes it's just not fair, lifes just not fair. Someday Brody when you get bigger, I want you to become a Doctor so you can find a cure for my cancer. That way no Dr or nurse or any other person will ever have a cut on their belly like this."

Brody quickly said "okay daddy I will be a Dr when I get big, and find out how to kill your bugs!"

Update from Thursday

2010-01-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Thursday was our appt in Chicago and treatment day. The trip in was fun-heehee. We took the train into Chicago and what an experience that was. After getting into Chicago we took a small(ya right) walk to get from the train station to the University of Chicago. It was quite the adventure. We made it safely though.(Apparently though, according to our infusion nurse, we walked through the "wrong" section of Chicago-woops-wont do that again!)
Ryan had bloodwork done and his labs were all good except for his liver functions which are still too high. His Dr decreased his oral chemo since Ryan was having too many side effects, and we will try to increase again in 2 weeks. We then went for his IGF treatment, and he tolerated it very well. Overall, we had a lovely day! Ryan is feeling better, and we are looking forward to Feb 10th, when we find out if the treatment is working.

Boys Singing

2010-01-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our Family Outing

2010-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

We went to the Albanese Candy Factory. It was great-the kids had a blast. THis is where they make most of the supply of gummy worms.
We also registered the kids today to attend school at a local Christian Church on the days that we have treatment in Chicago. They tell us everyday how much they miss all of their friends at KK's so hopefully this will help, although it will not come close to filling the gap. They miss you all so much. We recieved a video from them all today, and as the boys cheered in excitement to see them all, Ryan and I cried-we miss home so very much!!
We increased Ryans chemo yesterday, so he is up to 10 pills each day. This afternoon he has definately noticed a difference and is taking a nap. So far he has not been nauseated, just extremely tired and a bit dizzy. (Not to mention his short term memory is terrible-we joke about this daily!!) We are praying each day that he will be able to continue this treatment without major side effects.
Tonight we will be celebrating Kolby's 3rd birthday. Happy birthday big boy, we all love you so very much!! I will post pictures of his mini party tonight.
Love to you all!

Kolby wating pizze at Costco!

The boys choosing the candy they wanted

This is the tallest chocolate fountain in North America.

Pictures

2010-01-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Off our front porch in Indiana

University of Chicago

Maryland Ave wher U of Chicago is at 6am

Singing to Sweet Home Alabama

Kolby got into our bag while driving to get mommys mirror so he could put his lipstick on-too funny

Cheap entertainment at the Drs office- "We are ready to GO!!"

Kolby

Brody

Favorite blankets-Thanks Uncle Zachy and Auntie Jaime

Snoozing away

Kolby watching his favorite movie UP

Brody playing his leapster

HOLY SNOW!!

2010-01-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

We had our appt in Chicago today. Of course, we left at 0430 during the biggest snow storm this year, driving a rear wheel drive trail blazer, sliding sideways down the freeway. (completely serious too by the way) and Ryan yelling out-"#*#*@ *^#*&@^ we are going home!!" We made the 35 mile commute in 2 hours, but safely. Did I also mention I despise the toll roads- how can these people sleep at night charging you so much? $3 here $2.50 there .75 everywhere-and then paying for parking at the hospital-we couldn't believe it. (WE LOVE IDAHO HAHAHA!!)

We are officially transfered to University of Chicago. next Thursday we go again for Dr appt, blood draw and his IGF Therapy Infusion. They said that it will take most of the day on his infusion days which will be every other Thursday. He will have a scan on February 10th to determine if the treatment is working, and we are shooting to head home that weekend after the scan.

We are increasing his chemo again tomorrow, since he is tolerating it so well. This will be the second time in a week. So far he is doing better than expected(as he always does :-)

As always, we miss you all so much. The snow is gorgeous here and we are hoping to take the boys sledding tomorrow. I will try to get some pictures posted soon!

Just Waiting

2010-01-06T10:10:00.001-08:00

Good Morning.
I know it has been a bit since I have updated. We have an appt tomorrow in Chicago, so until then we have no new info.
We did start the clinical trial last week, so for now his next dose will be next Wednesday. After tomorrow we will know the exact details of our schedule from here on out.
We miss you all, and will update you after our appt tomorrow!

Started IGF Therapy

2009-12-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

Had an early morning. Up for catscans, Appt with Dr and then they started Ryan on the antibody. He has tolerated it very well. It took about 2 hours to infuse. We recieved a preliminary report back from his catscans. His mass on the adrenal bed has increased in size. His spots on his liver have grown some as well. They did not give us measurements yet. We will know more when we get the final report faxed to us.With this, the clinical trial is still the best method of treatment. We are still hopeful that this will work. The best news today was that his mitotic level, which tells you how fast the tumor is growing. Ryans is a low mitotic rate which means that it hsa a slower growth rate. THis was good news-the Dr said during his experiance, these types of tumors have responded well to additional therapies.

We are missing you all back home so much. Cant wait to get back!! We are so fortunate to have our family here to keep us company. The boys have loved spending time with their cousins "Nolah and Jake" (Kolby calls Noah, Nolah - too funny). My aunt and uncle have set up our own little place downstairs, where the boys even have their own beds. Thank you again so much Nick and Trish. We will be heading back that way tomorrow to transfer Ryans care to University of Chicago where he will recieve his antibody injections from now on.

All our Love, Hope you all have a very happy New Year.
Ryan, Ashley, Brody and Kolby

Process Started

2009-12-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

We met with our Dr today. The process has started to enter into the clinical trial. We met with a slug of people today. The boys were such troopers, in fact they were even better than their daddy who was irritated by the time we finished with the first physician and they told us we had to meet with a dietician. He said he knows whats healthy and what he should eat . . . it's a waste of time. LOL

He had blood work and a chest xray today, and we will go in at 6am for a chest, abdomen and pelvis ct. We then meet with the oncologist that runs the clinical trial to determine a start date.

We will let you all know tomorrow when we will be starting.

love you ALL!!

Were in Michigan

2009-12-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Michigan today. Our appt is at 0730 in the am (0530 at home). We will update the blog as soon as we are done.

Update

2009-12-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Im sorry that we have not given an update in quite sometime, the last few days have been a whirlwind!
Yesterday, we had our appt with our Oncologist in Fruitland. We were supposed to start the radiation right after. Our oncologist recommended that we consider the clinical trial as one of our best options. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what this entails, I will give a brief overview. To qualify for the clinical trial, you have to have reoccurant cancer, which Ryan now has with the 1.7 cm mass on his adrenal bed. When we initially talked about the trial, we considered it because if we started the radiation before, then the trial was out. We were not okay with having an option taken, so we gathered more information. After finding out that there were options that were as good, and didnt require us "moving" to Michigan, we decided to stay with the radiation treatment and not consider the clinical trial as an option unless our oncologist said that it was the only way to go . . . and we were confident that he wouldnt say that.
Oh were we wrong! Without much hesitation that is exactly what he recommended to us. So we have pondered and prayed, and came to the decision today that we will give it a go. ANY OPTION FOR POTENTIAL CURE IS WORTH IT!!
So, we fly out Saturday morning. We will be taking the kids with us and staying for 6 weeks. In 6 weeks we will know if the treatment is working, and re-evaluate our sittuation at that time.
We want to again thank you all for being so supportive. We love and appreciate you all so much, and we will make it through this because you have all helped carry us through this.

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Appt with Dr tomorrow

2009-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

We had a phone call with the Dr from Michigan this morning. Ryan has a 1.7 cm mass on his adrenal bed where they took out his tumor. They are also seeing 3 spots on his liver that are possibly residual disease. We have another appt with the dr tomorrow at 1:30 to determine what the best course for treatment will be from here. His options are to start the chemo and radiation, start a clinical trial along with the chemo and radiation, or go back in for surgery to remove the mass. We will update you all as soon as we know more.

Adding Comments

2009-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

Okay so I changed the settings to the blog- it looks like anyone can now add comments. You do not have to have a blog account to do this.
Try it out!

Update

2009-12-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

We will be heading home Saturday.

We saw the Radiation Oncologist this morning. He had a preliminary reading of Ryans scans, and he is not seeing any suspicious spots on any other organs. He is nervous about some areas where his tumor was removed that look like leftover cancer cells, as well as a lymph node between the vena cava and aorta that is looking suspicious on his scans. They will treat this with radiation therapy to eliminate any leftover cancer cells. After much debate on wether to stay here to recieve the radiation therapy, we have decided to come home and get the treatment. Ryan will get radiation daily for 5-8 weeks, as well as starting a chemotherapy drug called mitotane, which he will have to take for 2-5 years . . . yes years.

We will have the final results of the scans tomorrow, as well as the mitotic level. The mitotic level will tell us how agressive his cancer is.

We love and appreciate you all!

Pictures

2009-12-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Ryan and Ashley

University of Michigan Hospital (this place is gigantic!!!!)

U of M Hospital Campus

Kolby sporting Gramas sunglasses

Update

2009-12-08T10:19:00.001-08:00

Holy cow . . . this place is ginormous. The hallways are like rush hour traffic!

Saw the oncologist this morning at University of Michigan. He has ordered additional test and scans, and we will see the radiation oncologist in the morning. They have decided that they will order mitotane chemotherapy, and 5 weeks of daily radiation. The radiation oncologist will be able to tell us more details on the radiation after we see him tomorrow. The treatment plan is all pending on the results of clear scans that we will have done tonight and tomorrow (which we all know we be CLEAR!!!) :):)
I will update more when we have more details.

p.s.
yes it is snwoing here today, but its actually not that cold!

Just Landed in Salt Lake City, UT

2009-12-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

We have a layover until 1:30. So far our flights have been on time. It's snowing in Salt Lake-hopefully our flight will go out on time! :)

Michigan Update

2009-12-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

We will be flying out for University of Michigan Sunday at 8am. We will spend the week there.
Tuesday we see the Adrenal Cancer specialist, and we know that we will see the Radiation Oncologist on Friday. Other than these, we are not sure yet what they will do.
I will keep you all posted throughout the week.
Love you all!

University of Michigan Cancer Treatment Center

2009-12-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Michigan it is. We will be seeing a specialist by the name of Dr Hammer. He is well known and serves most of the adrenal cancer patients in the US. In order to get an appointment with the UofM, they have to have all of your radiology films, and 10 pathology slides of the tumor. THIS HAS BEEN FUN.
To make a really long story short- we just got back from sending all of these out overnight by Fed Ex, so they will have them at the University tomorrow morning. The coordinator for Dr Hammer will call us tomorrow with the exact date and time of our appointments. It is looking like we will fly out Monday morning.

2009-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

No news yet, we should know more in the morning!

Oncology Appointment

2009-12-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

We saw the Ocologist today. Ryan's scans came out negative-no sign of the cancer spreading to other organs. Since he has not treated this type of cancer, he wants us to go to a large University to see an Oncologist. Its looks as though we will either be going to the University of Michigan, or MD Anderson in Texas. We will be hearing back from him in the next hour to let us know where we will be heading. He said that we will be going soon, since time is of the essence.

Ryan is healing great, and has been such a pillar of strength. God works wonders and we are confident that Ryan will set history as being "cured" of this rare type of cancer. We are so thankful that we have all of you to lean on during this difficult time.

From our entire family to yours, we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

He ATE!!!

2009-11-27T13:19:00.001-08:00

Ryan ended up back in the emergency room last night. He was very dehydrated and his pain was out of control. He got fluids and they changed his medications around, and he is like a new man today. He ate an entire 6" sub sandwich, and devoured the entire thing.

He had his chest CT and bone scan this morning. We will have the results at his oncology appt on Tuesday.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and caring to our family. We love and appreciate you all!

Update

2009-11-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Ryan got 1/2 of his staples out today. They also repeated his labs and his blood count has slightly went up. He is feeling much better today.
We also have an appt with the oncologist next Tuesday the 1st of December. The correct spelling of the cancer is adrenal cortical carcinoma.

Update

2009-11-24T21:26:00.001-08:00

We now have the official name of the type of cancer Ryan has - Adrenal Cortico Carcinoma.
He has a bone scan and CT scheduled for Friday.

We get to take him tomorrow morning to get his staples (all 40 of them) out.

Pathology Results

2009-11-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

The pathology results just came in. The tumor was adrenal cancer. They did not see any signs of it spreading to the lymph nodes. They are meeting on Monday morning with the tumor board, to review the treatment plan and next steps. We will meet with the Oncologist next week. After our appt with his Dr tomorrow we will have the exact date for his appt.

He's Home

2009-11-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

We just got home. Dr let us come home this afternoon, so Ryan can get some better rest. The ride was a bit painful, but he is resting now in bed watching TV. We have an appt in the morning to get all of the pathology results, and we take him Wednesday to get his staples out. Thank you everyone who has visited and called, we have very much enjoyed the company. We have such wonderful friends and families, and we will be forever grateful to all of you. I will post in the morning and let you all know the results.

The Kids Came to Visit

2009-11-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Daddy with his boys!!

Amber, Kris, Jordi, Raegan, Kya and Jayden

Raegan, Kolby and Brody

Brody

So handsome in his tie

Kolby snuggling with Mommys pillow

Making Progress

2009-11-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

YAY! He gets bathroom privys! They took the foley out this morning, and he has taken 3 walks already. The Dr said that we may be able to go home a bit early so we will wait and see. Still no gas . . . keep praying for gas!

We Moved

2009-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

They just moved us out of CCU down to the 2nd floor room # 233. He took a shower and is back in bed now feeling pretty good. They took out his central line and he is off of the monitors.

Early Morning

2009-11-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

Ryan got his drain out this morning and they are going to let him take a shower this morning. They are going to move us out of CCU to the surgical floor today.

Pictures

2009-11-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

"Praise the Lord . . . they got it all"

First walk - afternoon 11.20.09

First Walk - afternoon of 11.20.09

Poor swollen eyes- morning of 11.20.09

After surgery 11.19.09

Before surgery - 11.19.09

Ryan and his brother Chad before surgery

Ryan and Ashley before checking in for surgery

He walked

2009-11-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ryan got up and walked down the hall just now. His pain is better, and he is starting to get some faint bowel tones. Keep it up babe!

Brody, Raegan, and Kolby at Auntie Amber's

2009-11-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Kolby has to have the kitty on the horse with him.
Notice the cat clinging onto the horse for dear life as Kolby rocks it to death. Hehe

They all wanted to watch Ice Age and snuggle the kitties.

Get well soon Ryan

good morning!

2009-11-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

He's awake and feeling alive this morning! His pain is now under control. After a long night, and an unsuccessful epidural they started a pain pump and at about 2am, his pain was under control. Dr came in this am and, of course, the first question from Ryan was "where's my pictures?" He laughed and told Ryan he was sorry, no pictures, his hands were just a bit too full.
We're going to try to get him up this morning and work up some gas- I promise you will never again hear me praying for him to have gas, but today I'm praying for lots of it.I will try to get over to the office today and post some pictures. We will be in ccu for one more day and going to the floor sometime tomorrow. Tata for now!!

update

2009-11-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

He has not yet come back from recovery. They said that his pain has been out of control, but they were just able to get his epidural in so they are hopeful that this will help him.

HE'S OUT!!!!

2009-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

He is in recovery and doing well. They said that it went as well as could be expected. They will be sending him up to CCU in the next hour. Again, we are so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers. God has definately worked wonders and Ryan is a miracle. We love and appreciate all of you.

General Surgeon is Finished

2009-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Dr states this was unbelievable. The worst case imaginable. Massive. Extensive. He could not believe the involvement. He has never seen a bigger more involved tumor. He said that it went excellent for the depth of the surgery. His main physician should be coming out soon. We are so fortunate that this was caught so quickly and that we will begin on a long road to recovery

IT'S OUT

2009-11-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

The kidney is out. Hoooray. The dr said that he thinks he got it all and it does not show any signs of the cancer spreading anywhere else. They will be in surgery for about another hour or so

Update

2009-11-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

The nurse just came out to tell us that the surgery is taking longer than expected. They have already given Ryan 2 units of blood and they have not been able to get the kidney out yet. She said that the tumor is a bit more involved than expected. They are estimating surgery to go until 7pm.

Update

2009-11-19T14:23:00.000-08:00

Just rec'd a message that Ryan is doing good and the surgery is going well. They still have a ways to go so keep up those prayers!!!

Update

2009-11-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

They couldn't get his epidural in. They attempted several times without luck. He is back in surgery and they will try again when he is asleep

Almost ready

2009-11-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

He's back in pre-op. They are starting his epidural. Once he's back in the or they will put in his central line and his a line. After he's out they will send him to CCU. They har having some problems getting his epidural in, so its taking a bit longer than expected. Dr just came out and said they are getting ready to take him back.

The Big Day

2009-11-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready to head over to the hospital. The boys stayed at my sisters last night, and slept well. I am so thankful that we do not have to worry about them-they are in great hands. Thank you again Am and Kris!
His surgery will start at 1pm and should take about 5 hours. I will post updates as soon as we get them. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers today. You have all been so supportive and we appreciate it so much. We love you all!!!-Ryan and Ashley

Ryan's surgery

2009-11-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

It's scheduled

Thursday at 1pm Ryan will be having surgery at West Valley in Caldwell. They will be removing the 14cm mass, his left kidney and his gall bladder. They will send the mass into pathology and we should have the final results by Monday or Tuesday. They are saying that he will be kept in the hospital for 5 days after his surgery. We are looking forward to a successful surgery, as we begin on the road to recovery. :)

2009-11-17T17:17:00.000-08:00