Tons of Items

Hey to Everyone! Well I have tons of info and things to share so lets begin by starting with the best and running to the worst. Here we go:
I got the last stitches taken out of my head today! Yea! It is only 2 months extra after my surgery and I finally have all the stitches removed. So fantastic to get it all done, cleaned, and complete.
Next a special thanks to all the teachers, and staff who were in the Faculty Follies & Silent Auction. It is VERY hard for me to sit back and tell you all what a great event that this was for us to attend. It was awsome seeing the people with their entertainment as well as having so many people there to help and assist us. I just want to say thank you from my heart. It is very difficult for me to talk about my situation, but I just want to again say thanks.
Before the teachers it was coming from the City of Riverside Fire Department who was able to give a little, or even quite a bit. To my brothers, sisters, and family members I just wanted to say thanks. After working next to most of you for my ten years and then by the person who is on this side of the help is unbelievable. For all this time I wished that I was there to be a helper, but I don't think that is too much part of my future. Thanks again.
Another totally unbelievable and shocking thing is the help from the City of Riverside Police Department. Getting something from your department was awsome. There are many times when we don't get to work side by side, but when you have given such a wonderful gift to a co-worker is truly thankful. Thanks again for all your help and your amazing gift.
Now the not so fun, the chemo which is an infusion. Last time I was only given one of the two types that I will get on Friday the 24th, and oh my gosh. Well let me share a little with you on this, since it took the nurse almost an hour to give me all the things that I need to know. Here I am, almost two weeks after the first one, and I am already starting to loose hair, have internal issues, and feel and hear many different things in my head. Sweet! Anyway I don't want you all to think that I am complaining, but this is the first time and just like we talked many days ago, this is just another one of those areas where I must be the one to step over the curb and keep walking. I mean really if this is the only thing that is going to be the help or the thing that keeps me here longer then it is exactly what I must get done. Besides who wants to be the guy to have a seat at the wall and look sad that his time is gone all because he didn't believe that with God he could do anything.

Quick Note...

Hey Everyone. Well I am almost back to normal after last Friday's chemo. That was something. I think that it is going to take several of these chemos to find the right way to treat my brain, making it better and gives me less issues. But on a good note, I met a guy last Saturday, which was amazing that I could talk to him because I felt "VERY BAD", anyway his name is Lew Stowers and he works on reporting news. Well he interviewed us for almost three hours and put a site for us that is on the internet. If you wanted to see lots of funny and amazing things about my life and family then you should go to www.helpnn.org/joomla/ and take a look. I know alot of this is about the Teachers thing that is happening tomorrow and will probably be used to create some more internet stuff since I heard it is unbelievable what they are auctioning. I did see a signed football, baseballs, and many things, over 50 baskets with some awsome gifts. Anyway I just wanted to let you all know. Have a great day and God Bless.

Chemo Round 1

Happy late Easter to everyone we hope you had a great day with your friends and family.

1st off Eric had his chemo on Friday and feels terrible, he has been nauseous the whole time and eating has been a big challenge. He finally had a BLT today but other than that, salad is about all he can eat. He is improving with each passing day but he hates not feeling well and continues to want to be his old "normal" self. Well he has off for almost two weeks and his next chemo is on the 24th and this time he will get 2 kinds instead of one. Hopefully we will have figured out a trick to help him feel better. If anybody has any suggestions please let us know!!!

Secondly he wanted to thank all of you that voted for the America's All-Star. He did not win the contest but it was a great opportunity. Thanks again for taking time to vote for him!!

Love & God Bless,
Hallie

Many Thanks!!!

Well everyone, happy Sunday (and Palm Sunday) to everyone. I have so many things that I wanted to say, so let me start with the old first. Thank you to everyone who was at my retirement dinner. It was a great thing to be there with so many of my family and fire friends. To have a great moment with four amazing men who were able to retire over the true balances. I really had a great time with you all. Next, a bigger thank you to all the individuals who were able to add funds to the gift for Hallie and myself. It is always so emotional for me and I can not say thank you enough. Finally amazingly and incredible was everyone who took the effort to come to my house and fix the grass in the back yard. It went from a crappy lawn to beautiful sod. We have been watering it, looking at it and it is just fantastic. It was been OK for sooo long and now to see real green grass is very good, besides the dogs can hardly wait to get onto the new grass! They have tried to sneak out a couple of times.

I went to the doctors on Friday and wanted to share with you where I am with everything. We started with a MRI, and just to share with you how amazing it is to get the MRI done and then we are able to look at it 30 minutes later. I have two small pieces of cancer that are there from the last surgery with one being in the empty hole and another at the base of my head. My doctor felt that it had not grown too much although he wants to get started with the chemo asap. So on I will start on Friday through an IV instead of the pills. I will only get one of the chemo's on Friday and on the 24th I should get both chemos. They are waiting on the 2nd one because the would has not healed enough to start one of them. I would love to tell you how I am overwhelmed at this whole thing, but that would be a total lie. I do believe that God has something for me to be, due, or accomplish before I get called to Him, although I know it is much different for my wife who will have to remain here without me. I really wish our situation was switched around but again believe that all we have to do is just accept that which God has for each of us as the thing that belongs in our future. And lastly a hung thanks to the wedding group who got married yesterday. I hope that this couple is able to have all the love that Hallie and I have been able to have for 17 years ( 24 years if you wanted to count all our dating time as well). Thanks everyone.

P.S. Hey everyone this is Hallie. I wanted share with those of you who may not know what my school is doing for us. On April 16th the staff is putting on a faculty follies and an auction. It is incredible the amount of talent that will be performing, the gifts that have donated and the time everyone has put into this event. Eric and I are as he would say overwhelmed! I have tickets( $5.00 each) if anyone is interested or you can get them at the door or from Chaparral doing school hours. If you would like more information you can go to TVUSD's website and look under events. http://www.tvusd.k12.ca.us/. Thank you for all your support! Again!

Aww for Heavens Sake

Well just from the title I am sure that you all know what has happened, NOTHING. I left to meet with the doctor on Friday as I was supposed to have the removal of the little leaky area where the three places had needed an additional two weeks for full recovery. I had one head clip removed and that was it. Only 1 clip was cut. Well OK, I am sure that things will get better, even though my area on the side of my head is still too large from being swollen. Hallie and I met with doctor number two to get ready for my first chemo infusion which is now two weeks overdue only to find that we are waiting some more time. AHHHHHHH. You see there is a little (lot) of concern about how this section has remained swollen and leaking of CSF for almost the last six weeks. Well after a ton of questions we have all decided to go down there on Friday to get another MRI to see what is going on inside. There is talk that both of the doctors will inspect it out to see what is happening on the inside and from there we will make some decisions. It is so difficult to have your life planned and then have to put everything onto hold as you are not sure now what will be the thing that is recommended once the MRI data is seen. Oh well. I am a little frustrated but just wanted to share with you all what is on track for me. I know that God has something for me but sheesh I would love to know where we are going. Take care everyone.

A little note...

Hey Everyone. I want to apologize about my big talk, but I have something happening tomorrow so I will make a hopefully interesting new bit of info, but I wanted to say "Oh My Gosh" for the little www.amw.com area. When I started this Monday I was at the rating of 151 out of 154. Sheesh I thought. Well I just got off the note to look and I am at 6th of 154. Wow!! Now I want to apologize to all those do don't feel like checking the vote to come together and place a vote, but it is unbelievable. I know there are 4 days left to be slid right out of my area, but gosh, being 6 is the best I have ever been. Anyway thanks again to you all who are voting daily for me in all those emails of your families and I hope I will have some very interesting info for tomorrow. Remember if you want the easy way it is at http://www.amw.com/allstar/2009/ . Catch you all soon. Eric

Just When You Thought It Was Going To Be Easy

Hey everyone. Just like I said, when you thought it was going to be so easy, SHIFT. Anyway before I chat I just wanted to tell Heather, a family friend, that if there is anything that I can do to help your needs please just let me know. I'm not sure that I can actually do anything, but sometimes even just chatting is a great way to help. Now the story, amazing. I had my stitches all pulled on Monday and was so excited, giving me a few days to get everything ready to start my new chemo stuff on Friday. Well Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all allowed me the opportunity to see that my head, now without the stitches, was having liquid fall from a hole. So I called the City of Hope and after several phone calls it was "come in right now." AWWWWWWWW. So off we went to have the doctors see why I was getting liquid out of my head. Well I think it as about the particular area had two stitches, not just one and had not properly joined, but it was a little difficult as I had this paper protecting my head waiting to be fixed. It was a little hard to tell you specifically as they started working, then left and used the phone, returned, and then left again for the phone. They seemed to make a mention that they just wanted to make sure that there would be no issues as we were going to start the chemo stuff. So ready to leave after I had been all re-sealed and then the next one was given to me, you need a PICC so that you can have some medicine for the next 5 days. A what? PICC? What the heck is that? Well now I know, I have a IV that will allow everything to be given to me. Sheesh. The quick info is that we are going to wait a little longer to make sure that my head has fixed itself before trying to teach me the new IV chemo stuff. Lastly just in case you forget the place to go to if you want to vote for me. I don't know how again it works, but I just wanted to give anyone who wants to vote daily for me an easy opportunity. http://www.amw.com/allstar/2009/ Thanks again. Also I just wanted you to see my amazing niece Morgan who is helping me take some more of this anti-stuff. Just a couple of more days to go!!

From Hunter to His Awsome Dad

Hey Everyone! I hope all is going well for everyone. I just wanted to share a moment with you all. I had gotten this piece of paper after that last surgery from Hunter and placed it up on the wall. It wasn't until today that I really had the ability or need to read and enjoy it. I am pretty amazed that here is a nine year old boy who has been able to understand that things are probably not the best in the world, but they are exactly as God wants them to be for me. I just thought I would share this with you all. Have a great day and if you want keep voting, six more attempts to become one of the eight who might win!

Quick Message

Hey Everyone. I hope all are doing well and fantastic. I got a strange email form Jen who is working with www.amw.com She said that many people are checking me out and not getting the vote properly done. I just wanted to put out there the "How to Do It" if you are so interested. First click on http://www.amw.com/allstar/2009/ then you will be able to search for "Botkin"under search all nominees. After my picture arrives you click the picture and it will then give you a bigger picture and the ability to vote. Click on the word vote, and you will be able to enter your email address and two words. When your finish that there is a area to check and then it says great, vote for Eric tomorrow, as you can only vote for me once a day. Anyway if this is something that interests you I just wanted to give you the easiest way to get it done. Again I don't know if I have enough to win as there are some horrific people but I just wanted to let those that wanted to know the way to get it done as easily as possible. Thanks to Everyone.

I'm Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone! Let me start with a big wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew. It is so nice to be home again. I would like to give each and every person at the City of Hope a great feeling by being a series of unbelievable Doctors, Nurses, And Cleaners, but you reach that point when you ready to leave. No more medicine, no more checks to see if you are ok, and well that is when I decide I am ready to go home. We got home on Sunday and were just trying to be normal. Just trying to be relaxed and working to get my head back on track. It seems like a lot, but it is just trying to be normal. I'm sure it will take me a while to get back into doing stuff, but I have to tell you I am very happy to be home. I am going to the doctors on Monday to have the sutures removed and then am waiting until March 13 to start my new medicine. Instead of pills, I have been shifted to IV Chemo. So I will enjoy 3 - 4 hours as the medicines work to start in me. Hey and as the last thought, I am on the web site called http://www.amw.com/. I have to tell you that this was really funny as the girl called me on Monday and wanted to ask me about joining the competition. I told her that I didn't know anything but sure. She told me that 65 people had tried to get me on board to see if I might win. Well lots of paper is completed and I am now there. To make this easy, if you want to vote for me, you can go to http://www.amw.com/allstar/2009/ place my name Botkin into the search area and will be able to vote for me. I don't really feel that I am so great but I want to give all those the opportunity to vote for me that wants too. While winning would be sure unbelievable, I just wanted to share it with you. And lastly I wanted to thank all the people who sent me cards. It is almost overwhelming to get everyones signature so thank you very much. It was really nice to take several moments and be able to read what everyone wrote to me. Thanks again to my RFD friends.