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Update on Walt 9/1/09

Walt went home today. The doctor said that everything looks good with the surgery. Due to the nerves that were disturbed during the surgery, Walt will have some lingering issues with muscle control around his right eye as well as the right side of his mouth. We're hoping this will clear up soon. He will have the staples removed this Friday and will undergo a PET scan in about a month. We're hoping that this shows Walt free and clear from any cancer. Lastly, the doctor has indicated that unless the PET shows something abnormal, Walt shouldn't need to undergo any chemotherapy.

We're grateful to the staff at Houston NW Hospital and have been pleasantly surprised with the great care that Walt received there. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers - we continue to covet them.

Have a blessed week.

Out of surgery

The surgery went very well and the doctor remarked on how well Walt looks for being in surgery for so long. The doctor said there were no clinical signs of any of the mass left behind, but he did have to remove some muscle. There shouldn't be any nerve or muscle issues with the removal of the muscle. Due to his COPD condition, they are going to have a pulmonary specialist check Walt out. As a precaution, he will be in ICU tonight to observe him for any pulmonary issues as well as monitor the drain tube . If all goes well, Walt will be able to go home on Sunday.

God is good! Thanks so much for your continued prayers.

Update on Walt

Quick update - he's been in surgery for over two hours and all is going fine.  Thanks for praying. #fb

Update on Walt - 8/24/09

Walt will have surgery to remove the cancerous growth from his neck this Friday, 8/28/09, at 7:00 AM.  The surgery will be pretty intense, lasting around five to six hours.  He will spend several days in the hospital recovering before he goes home.  Walt appreciates your prayers and concern during this time.  

Have a blessed week.

Latest on Walt 8/12/09

Walt went to the doctor today to follow up on the mass that is in his neck. In the previous update, I mentioned that he would be doing this to determine the growth rate of the mass so that he could decide on surgery. At his last visit, the measurement was 2.7 centimeters; it is now 3.5 centimeters. The doctor recommended surgery and Walt is going to go through with it. He will need to be off of the Plavix for two to three weeks before he can have the surgery.

One other note of concern is his weight loss to this point. He has lost quite a bit of weight in the last few months. Unfortunately, I think I found it.

I'll update as I know more. For now, please pray for Walt to not be anxious during his wait for the surgery and for a successful procedure once it is done.

Take care and have blessed day.

Good news/Bad News

Walt went to the doctor on Wednesday for a follow up visit related to the recent surgery that he underwent. The good news is that everything looks good and he is healing nicely. Walt is getting around pretty well and is driving (short distances) again.

The bad news is it appears the cancer (melanoma) is coming back. There is another mass in his neck in the same spot as the original mass. He will go back to the doctor to measure it in three weeks; if it has grown, they will evaluate treatment options. Most likely, he will require another surgery with a head and neck specialist to remove the mass and some sort of follow up cancer treatment.

Walt is disappointed, but optimistic. He and the rest of the family covet your prayers.

Have a blessed weekend.

Update on Walt

Walt went home from the hospital Saturday afternoon. He is not able to walk fully on his own yet, but is able to get around his house with the aid of a walker. He is experiencing pain when he puts any weight on his right leg - this is normal and should go away soon. He will have a follow up visit in a couple of weeks with the doctor to ensure everything is OK.

He is in pretty good spirits and he (as well as the rest of his family) really appreciates your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Take care and God bless.

Update on Walt

Today has been a pretty good day. I'm continually amazed at the physical resilience of the Sartons. Walt went from not being able to stand this morning to walking across the room (with a walker) this afternoon. He is in some pain, but it is manageable and he really hasn't taken much pain medication throughout the day. As it stands now, Walt most likely will be going home tomorrow.

Thanks so much for praying - we really appreciate it.

P.S. Also, thanks for putting up with my numerous misspellings the last couple of days.

Update on Walt

Walt is out of surgery and everything went very well. They put in a bypass rather than cleaning the clogged artery out. He will be in recovery for the next hour or so and then he will be back in his room. The doctor also said that everything else looked fine.

Thanks for praying.

Quick update on Walt

Walt's surgery will be at Noon today in Houston. One minor note of frustration is that we haven't spoken to the doctor as of yet. So much for a good bedside manner. Walt is in pretty good spirits and is ready to get it done. Thanks for your prayers and comments/emails thusfar.

Latest on Walt

I have been way lax in getting updates out. The latest is that Walt went through radiation treatment to deal with the lump in his neck that had come back. He is done with the treatement and was scheduled to go to the doctor today to get everything checked out. However, this morning after he woke up he had severe pain in his right leg which turned into numbness. The other concern which he experienced the night before is an area in his abdomen that is protruding which is close to where his aortic aneurism was repaired two years ago.

The ER did a cat scan on him around lunchtime and the results are a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that the aortic aneurism repair is perfect; however, he has developed a clot in a secondary artery that will need to be repaired via surgery. This will happen tomorrow at Houston Northwest Medical Center, which is near 1960 and I-45 (for those of you in the Houston area).

Specific prayer concerns are as follows:

• Successful procedure
• Walt to be comfortable throughout the process
• Walt to have peace
• The rest of the family to be free from worry
• That Christ will be glorified in our actions

Thanks for praying.

Happy Birthday to Walt!

Walt officially turned 82 today.  He unofficially turned 82 on May 19.  Happy birthday twice!

Good news!

Matthew 7:8 says 'For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened'

We have much to be thankful for, for sure, but today, our specific prayer has been answered. The doctor (finally) called Walt last night and said that they could find no trace of cancer in his jaw area. It's amazing news and yet another example of God answering prayer in a mighty way.

The doctor has recommended that Walt undergo radiation treatment "just to be sure" since this is the third time the cancer has returned to that same area. Walt is hesitant, but will make a decision on this by Monday.

What does all this mean? Well, God ain't done with Walt yet.

In Christ,

-tjw

Update on Walt 1/29/08

Howdy!

I know it's been a while since the last update, but things finally started happening last week. Walt met with his Oncologist last week and the doctor was very encouraging, indicating that things didn't look as bad as we were led to believe. He expects that radiation will do the trick and that Walt has a very good chance to be cancer free. As a precaution, Walt will undergo a full body scan on January 30 to ensure that the cancer has not spread. The last time he had this done, the aortic aneurysm was found (just in time). On February 2 at 1:00, Walt will receive the first radiation treatment.

Prayer needs are as follows:

• Full body scan to show that the cancer has not spread
  
• Radiation treatment to successfully remove the cancer
• Walt to feel the peace of God throughout this process

That's it...more to come!

God bless!

Walt Update

Happy New Year to you. Unfortunately, we don't have much to update as of today. Walt is still waiting on some paperwork from his health insurance carrier, which should arrive any day. Once that is in, the ball will be rolling.

Walt does have a nifty new laptop and is now able to communicate via email. He appreciates all the well wishes that he's received, either directly here or via email. He has a new email address - simply click the CONTACT WALT in the sidebar and you should see his email address.

Thanks and as always, we covet your prayers.

Update on Walt Sarton

Today, Walt learned that the growth that was removed from his neck last week is indeed cancer. We don't know what stage it is in, but in Walt's words, "it's not good". His surgeon urged him to seek treatment from an oncologist and another surgeon who specializes in head and neck surgery as soon as possible. To that end, he will schedule something right after the first of the year.

Walt is in good spirits and is taking a very pragmatic approach to his treatment. He wanted to pass on to his family and friends that he will pursue treatment of the disease aggressively, but at his age, he is not willing to diminish his quality of life. If the treatment turns out to be worse for him than the disease itself, he will choose to discontinue the treatment and let the disease run its course.

Walt covets your prayers and thoughts. Feel free to drop him a line here or simply leave a comment on this blog post. We are working to get him working internet access so that he can more easily keep in touch. Alternatively, you can give him a call - if you need his number, shoot me an email and I'll get it to you.

Lastly, this blog will be the means of communication regarding Walt's treatment updates. I will try to keep everyone up to date as much as possible. Please subscribe to the blog updates - you can either subscribe by email or by RSS reader - you can subscribe either way in the sidebar to the right.

Family remembrances

Here's a place to just jot down some of your favorite memories. Simply click the word comments at the bottom of the post and you will be able to type away!

Things to do while in Boise!

Greetings!
Here is a list of things to do or of interest from Gayle. Hope you enjoy! Don
----- Original Message -----
From: orobngayle@cableone.net
To: 'DON BEVERLY SARTON'
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: Reunion

Don -- thanks for getting the info to me. It looks great. Below is some information I put together on "things to do" while folks are here. If you think it's a good idea, would you please forward on to everyone? I know the almost-three days will go by quickly and that they're pretty full already, but if there is some down time, or for those arriving early, or staying longer, this gives some ideas of additional things we can do according to what interests folks. Love you , and see you soon -- Gayle
1. www.roaringsprings.com
Fun waterpark near our homes. Depending on when folks get here and how they stay, Tuesdays is Two-for-Tuesdays (buy one pass, get one free, comes out to about $13 per person), and on Thursdays after 3 p.m., admission is only $10. Our kids love going ā?" could be a fun outing for all of them!

2. www.visitidaho.org/thingstodo
MK Nature Center This spot is really close to the Veterans home where Dad is staying. Itā?Ts very nice, in downtown Boise, and easily accessible by wheelchair. It might be a nice things to do on Wednesday before the evening festivities for those who would like to go.The MK Nature Center is a sample of wild Idaho. The mountain stream with its logjams and waterfall, the wetlands pond circled with willows and cattails, and the high desert garden with sagebrush and other native plants represent major ecosystems in the state. Trout, whitefish, kokanee, ducks, geese, great blue herons, songbirds, and mink are just some of the wildlife that live here. The Center is open from dawn to dusk, every day of the year, and is free.

3. www.cityofboise.org.BoiseRiver
This is a tradition in Boise - floating the river. Below is more information. This could be a lot of fun for those arriving early or staying longer. It takes about three hours to do.
RAFT AND TUBE RENTAL OPERATIONSRental equipment is available to the public at the Barber Park rental office. Floaters will find everything from new deluxe inner tubes to new rafts and inflatable kayaks available for rent. All equipment rentals come with life-vests.
Rental fees are charged in 3-hour blocks (the typical length of time it takes to float the river) and range from $6 for inner tubes to $50 for the 6-person raft. A security deposit and rental agreement is required with each equipment rental. The Barber Park rental office is open every day of the week 12pm to 5pm Monday thru Friday and from 11am to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.RIVER SHUTTLE OPERATIONSSpecial shuttle bus service between Barber Park and Ann Morrison Park runs 7-days a week, from 1-8pm on weekdays, and from 1-9pm on weekends and holidays. The shuttle leaves Barber Park every hour on the half-hour and Ann Morrison Park every hour on the hour. The fee for this shuttle service is $2 per person.
Parking at Barber Park is charged by the carload and runs $5 Monday thru Thursday and $6 on Friday, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The Barber Park parking fees are charged to vehicles between the hours of 10am and 7:30pm.
4. Other things to do:
Downtown Boise
Downtown Boise is a nice place to just walk around and browse. Several art galleries are downtown, as is the old Boise Depot (now an office complex & museum where Craig works he’d be happy to give a tour), the 100+ year-old Idaho Candy Co., various shops, lots of restaurants, BODO ( a complex of restaurants, shops, movie theater, etc.), the Capitol Building (closed for a 2-year renovation, but nice grounds), etc.

Boise Towne Square Mall for those who have to shop. It also includes a Cheesecake Factory, yum.

World Center for the Birds of Prey www.peregrinefund.org
Warhawk Air Museum www.warhawkairmuseum.org
Julia Davis Park downtown Boise, includes a zoo, paddle boats, etc. www.cityofboiseorg/parks/Park_facilities
Majestic Theater just a couple minutes from mom and dad’s home (and ours), so if there’s a movie that we want to catch it’d be easy to do.
Meridian Speedway is also just a few minutes from our homes. www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/ID/Meridian

Also, following the dinner at Epi’s Tuesday night, Brianne (Dee’s daughter) will be singing downtown at Chandler’s, a nice restaurant/lounge (from about 7 p.m. to midnight). We’ve enjoyed going down there and sitting on the patio to listen to good jazz and kick back for a while. Might be a nice way to extend the evening for those who would like.

Sarton Family Reunion - Update information

Greetings!
July is rapidly approaching, it is hard to imagine that the longest day of the year will be here on Friday and the Family reunion follows quickly on it's heals. Enclosed is some information that I thought you would like to have, especially the cost of the meals. I would urge you to get a check to Gwen as soon as possible.

First, attached you will find an up-to-date list of participants, as of today, July 20th.

Second, Most everyone is staying at the same hotel and there will be opportunity to visit and plan excursions there. But, Reunion Central will be at the home of Dan and Gwen, they will have shade in the back yard, items for sandwiches and other snacks as well as soft drinks, tea, coffee and ice water. Their address is:
Dan and Gwen Sarton
2239 S. Blackspur
Meridian, ID 83642
(208)855-2257

Third, there are three planned meals where everyone will be together. The first is on Tuesday evening @ Epi's Basque Restaurant, (Driving directions will be available at the hotel). The second is a BBQ picnic on Wednesday the 4th in the back yard of Dan and Gwen and the third is a Potato Bar on Thursday the 5th. The total cost of these meals is $35.00 per person. The break down is $22.00 for the Basque Restaurant, $8.00 for the picnic and $5.00 for the potato bar.

Please make out your check to Gwen Sarton and mail to the above address as she is taking care of receiving the funds and paying for the various food items.

Fourth, for those persons flying in and do not have auto transportation there will be several cars at the hotel and plenty of transportation available.

Fifth, for those arriving on Monday and leaving on Friday, you are invited to Dan and Gwen's, there will be sandwich items, plenty of drinks, etc.

Sixth, on Tuesday evening as we close our time together there will be a short memorial service conducted for Carl. We would like for you to bring a memory that you would like to share at that time.

If you have any questions you can contact me by return e-mail or 719-447-1257 (Office) 719-266-9481 (Home).

I hope you have a safe journey and we look forward to seeing you in Boise.

Onward!
Don


List of Attendees


Don and Bev Sarton
Dan and Gwen Sarton
Walt Sarton
Terry and Melissa Williamson
Thad and Tina Sarton
Anna Lambert
Dennis Jean and Ann Sarton
Carla Ann Cheney
Dotty Lambert
Di Lupton
Kathleen Yeager
Cindy Dillon and Brad, Plus Brad’s daughter Miranda
Danny Dillon
Dee and Terry Bower
Craig and Sheri Sarton
Gayle and Rob O’Donahue
Linda Engel