July 26 2007 O'Neill Update - We're In!

July 26, 2007 O’Neill Update

Thought it time for another blog post. First and foremost, we are in our house and adjusting okay. It is still under construction. Cabinets are being installed as I write this. New cabinets have to come next week due to damage upon arrival. So, the countertop cannot go back on until that is resolved. The granite goes in sometime the second week of August or so. Our laundry room is not quite done – need the lockers and then have to decide upon shelf placement after that. Still need a shelf or two in the master bedroom closets, too. Due to kitchen construction, we have a few boxes we still live out of in the kitchen. The bedrooms and the rest of the house are almost completely unpacked and put away. We can even park both cars in the garage. Not too bad for being in the house for just two weeks and for making two and a half weeks worth of renovations before that. Next big project will be putting a bathroom in the basement – something we all REALLY want. Grant asks us often “why doesn’t this basement have a bathroom?” as if it is the house’s fault or something.

The boys are pretty good. They fight a lot. Gavin and I are going this weekend to get his school supplies. He will start Kindergarten on August 16 or 17 and Grant will start pre-school right after Labor Day. They are bored, I think. We put sand the in the sandbox today – that will probably keep them entertained for all of about 2 days. We packed up about 1/3 of their toys and gave them to charity due to their NEVER playing with them and seeing them in a million pieces all over the basement. They were okay with it. They play outside most of the time anyway – bikes, golf, scooters, in the playhouse, whatever.

Brian is doing pretty well. He continues with therapy a few days a week – occupational and physical. He still walks with quite a limp and his hand doesn’t seem to improve too much – not much grasp or pinch with it and little strength. He tries to do stuff around the house – projects – but most everything we do these days is a team effort. He needs help drilling, grabbing, stabilizing, etc. Anything he does on his feet really tires him out because his functions are just not working together great. At therapy, he does fantastic because they concentrate on one thing at a time – one muscle group. But, when it comes time for them to work together to walk or ride a bike or do simple household chores, it is challenging and it wears him down. He keeps pretty good spirits. He just finished his third round of Temodar. The scans in June showed some shrinkage in the areas they treated with the cyber knife at Stanford. That was good news. He has another scan in mid–August and that will tell us more of how the chemo is working.

As a family, we are doing well. We have a lot of time together with Brian home. I think we all wear on each other a bit. I find myself a bit crabby and snappy. I haven’t been sleeping well and haven’t been working out. Our treadmill should come in a couple weeks. The boys and I went to Kentucky last week with family. We went to a waterpark and swam at Uncle Kevin’s. Grant pulled a towel out from under his 3 year old cousin, Logan, and Logan fell face first in the concrete, as we were packing up to leave. Logan’s tooth got knocked very loose and they are thinking there is a good chance he will lose it. It is hanging quite low. Grant pulled the towel on purpose and knew Logan was on it. He did not mean to hurt Logan to that point, but Grant does mean things without thinking of consequences. We are always working on his attitude. We are going to the Lake of the Ozarks next week for a few days with family to play and fish. Then school starts a week and a half after that. So, life goes on. Life just takes more effort these days.

Keep praying for a smooth transition for the family into our home. Pray for Brian’s continued progress with respect to his functions. Pray for Brian’s continued healing. Pray for all of our strength and endurance to keep up.

God bless all of you.

KEEP BELIEVING

The O’Neill’s