Keep hanging in there!

Rob and Susie,
I know the last few months have been trying for both of you, but keep hanging in there. Hopefully you are half way there. I know your faith has been tested, but this whole experience will bring your faith to light and strengthen your faith in God. The little annoyances of life will look so small compared to all of this. Keep doing such a great job being positive and creating a positive environment for your kids. Know that we are here if you need anything and our prayers continue to be with you. Maybe Rob will even be up to playing some summer softball. Happy Thanksgiving! Amy Browning

Gearing up for Thanksgiving

The last few days have been pretty hard for Rob. He has been in bed the majority of the time since Sunday evening. This evening, he joined the boys and me for a spaghetti and meat sauce dinner (his request) and then we had some family time with the kids, curled up in the big chair and watching cartoons. I hope and pray that this is a sign that he is on the upswing and will start getting his energy back and begin to feel better. This round of chemo seems to have been the hardest for him and for his body so far. Thankfully, Rob has not been sick or nauseated with the chemo, but he does experience many other side effects. The tingling in his fingers may be getting a little worse and we will need to let the Dr know if this continues. The drug that causes this can be adjusted to hopefully control this. He also has major soreness in his body and aches and pains in his hips and back, also a side effect of the chemo. The pain makes it hard for him to sleep or to rest comfortably. He is experiencing headaches and is completely wiped out by the chemo for several days.

On a positive note, he has completed 3 rounds of chemo and we pray that we are half-way there! A CT Scan will take place the first week of December and we will have a better idea of how well the tumor is responding to chemo. The Dr continues to be very pleased with Rob and his appearance, his energy, his weight gain and his ability to bounce back after chemo. These are all such great signs and must indicate progress!! The Dr commented that if the chemo was not working, that Rob would be a "very sick man" right now. So, we are blessed to know that the chemo, as difficult as it is for Rob, is working!

Rob continues to be amazing through all of this and he has a positive attitude! We are gearing up for Turkey Day with our families and hope that Rob feels well enough to at least be able to have a few short visits with everyone and enjoy some Thanksgiving feasts and festivities.

Your prayers are being answered and we appreciate so much that you continue to hold Rob in your prayers and support us during this time.

Love to all of you!

Susie

Hugs from Atlanta

Rob,

We are thinking of you today. While your body fights and may be weakened from the chemo, your spirit is strong.

Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Hugs,

Amy, Mike, Mary, Molly and Michael

Go Hoosiers!

I talked to Rob today and he sounds fantastic. His energy level is high as is evidenced by the fact that as I type this he is in Bloomington rooting on the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall. :-) If you are watching the game on Big Ten Network you might spot him in his Indiana hooded sweatshirt behind the IU bench. On the medical front Rob goes in Monday for his next round of chemo - which is the half-way point (good news!) and then he gets a CT Scan a couple of weeks later where they will see how much damage has been done on the tumor (hopefully a ton).

Robby G, you and the fam are in our thoughts and prayers as you gear up for this next milestone. Go Big Red! (yes IU and Denison are both the Big Red - cool eh?)

The Sharp Fam

Rob at the IU game

Last Saturday was an fantastic day for IU football. We arrived early enough to enjoy some tailgating, then went inside for the game. We had a great time stuffing ourselves with brats and hanging out with friends. While the game itself didn't turn out how we wanted, the weather was beautiful, especially for the first day of November! Always a good time at the Hoosier games and look forward to many more!!

A little wierd, but cool!!!

Hey Rob! Glad I could finally find my way to your blog. "It was a little wierd, but cool" to spend time at your place on Halloween. Just had to quote your little man! Hope you are having a good week. Peace brother! Father Rick

Rob's Progress

Just wanted to update everyone on how Rob has been doing since his second round of chemo. Thankfully, he has not had any severe side effects from chemo. However, Rob is experiencing many other common side effects. He is very tired and has had a headache for a few days. He also has many aches and pains in his back and hips. Today he noticed that he has a tingling sensation in his fingertips. These are all very common side effects, but regardless they are bothersome for Rob.

He has been taking it easy and resting when he needs to rest. He did make it to the IU game on Saturday, however that really took it out of him and he was down most of the day on Sunday. I think that Rob realized the effect of steroids. As the Dr told us, steroids can give you a false sense of energy and then once you are finished with the dose of steroids, you're energy and stamina can really crash.

We are taking one day at a time and the boys and I are trying to give him peace and quiet when he needs it. Although it is hard for the kids to understand the magnitude of Rob's illness and that he has to rest often, they are handling things as well as can be expected and are still enjoying being little boys. I am trying to keep things as "normal" as possible for them and sticking to our daily routine seems to help all of us.

We are looking forward to having Rob's sisters and parents with us this weekend and hoping that Rob is feeling well enough soon to enjoy some of this summer-like weather before it leaves us.

All in all, Rob is doing well. He continues to have a great attitude with an admirable amount of strength and courage. Rob is an amazing man...despite his battle, he continues to be a great husband and the very best daddy.

"They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint." Isaiah 40:31

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love, Susie