Happy New Year & and final post for 2010 !

Can you believe another year has passed. Earl wants everyone to know that he feels great and that 2010 was a great year in his mind. It was the first year since his diagnosis that he wasn't hospitalized and he spent only a few hours in emergency. He feels better than he has for the last four years. He is back playing sledge hockey and even got his own equipment this year. He is coaching hockey in the girls high school league and really enjoying it and he has been attending a variety of local hockey games. So in Earl's mind things are great and really that's what matters most. He is also spending many hours each week at the church where he visits with the staff, prays, reads the bible and reflects how great God is. This I believe has had a huge impact on his life and his health.

Speaking of his health............Earl is still in chemotherapy for the cancer that recurred in his right kidney, renal veins, inferior venacava and his heart. The chemo which started back in April with continue as long as it is working and so that means that as long as we see shrinkage in the tumor the chemo will be ongoing. The chemo is rough on Earl and not at all fun, but he knows and is constantly encouraged that it is working. He will have another MRI of his heart on January 12, and we are hoping that it will show that the tumor has pulled out of the heart and is shrinking in other places.

Our travels this past fall and winter took us to Minnieapolis for a pre-season hockey game and a NFL game The vikings vs our favorite Detroit Lions. Darby Earl and I joined my cousin Al, his wife Gail and their kids, Trisha and Keith. We had a great time and even went to our first tail-gate party.

In October Earl and I headed out to Toronto and Detroit where we stopped in at MT Sinai in Toronto to visit Dr Wunder and the staff on 11 South where Earl spent 16 1/2 weeks in the first two years after diagnosis. We had a great visit and everyone especially Dr Wunder were exicited to see Earl looking so good. We then drove down to Windsor spent a night at my cousins and then headed over to Detroit and a few days with the Red Wings and our friend Billy. Earl as usual made him self at home in the locker room and reconnected with the guys and coaches on the team. It always seems so surreal to me when we are there and I just sit and smile as Earl wanders around with the players. This time we had a very special invitation by Valteri Filpulla one of the Finnish players to the team Halloween Party at his house. Talk about surreal as we sat around at the party visiting with the players and their wives. It was so much fun and a memory we will have forever. We had to come up with some costumes so Earl went as a tripod with a camera on his head (remember Earl has one leg and crutches so a tripod isn't much of a stretch) and I went as a cat (not very original but the best I could do with 1 day's notice and staying in a hotel) I still laugh today as I remember the various costumes of the players and their wives, and girlfriends. The night before we had gone to the Game and afterwards went to a party at Kid Rocks place. We had lots of fun there, but it was a very late night and we had to get up in the morning to go to the morning skate. We also had a special treat as we were able to watch Earl's friend Colin Wilson who plays for the Nashville Predators and the night before we enjoyed a night out with Darren Helm from Detroit and Colin. It was a busy week, but tons and tons of fun.

Our last trip of the year took us to Montreal, to visit our friends the Curtis'. We love this family so much and time with them is so much fun we can't wait for the next time. Earl attended to Canadiens games and a Quebec Junior Major game in Drummondville. We headed home less than a week before Christmas and had a great Christmas with our family. We are so blessed to have a family than loves one another and appreciates the gift of life and healing.

Take care, have a great year and stay posted for more good news to come.
Debbie & Earl