The Biopsy went very well and we should have news within the next 5 days.
Just got word today that Earl's documentary will re-air tonight with an added update.
Tune in for a great story.
Debbie
Jun 13, 2011
Jun 12, 2011
A Change in Plans
Hi Everyone,
There has been a change of plans since my last post. The surgeon's have requested a biopsy of Earl's right kidney, to find out what kind of cancer we are dealing with. It could be one of two things.....1) metastases of the original cancer (osteo-genic sarcoma) or a secondary cancer involving the kidney (renal cancer of some kind) The biopsy will confirm this. If it is the later (kidney cancer) there are treatments available that would have a good outcome, and would likely involve surgery but not as radical as if the cancer is sarcoma. Does that make sense.....? The biopsy is tomorrow morning and we will let you when we know. Earl is feeling a little tense and really has convinced himself that he does not want the news to be ...that it is sarcoma! Whatever it is....we know it has to be dealt with promptly as the tumor is growing and Earl is in more and more pain.
Too keep Earl distracted his friends are keeping him busy. He has a new interest in Flea Markets and Cruise night. He is excited that the NHL is back in Winnipeg and that we were able to obtain season tickets, which we will share with my brother and my two nieces and their spouses. It should be lots and lots of fun. Earl is already offering his services to the new team...LOL
Last Monday Earl was Police Chief for the Day, thanks to Jerry and Dave! He had a great time, with Police Chief Keith McCaskill as he inspected the recruits and gave a speech to the whole class. He was well received and his final words to the class were..."...and remember...never taser a guy in the balls..." I sunk down in my chair in embarrassment, but then again, thats Earl. They gave him several gifts one of which was a hockey jersey from the Winnipeg Patrolman hockey team. We finished our visit with a tour of the Winnipeg Police Museum.....Thanks to all involved it was a great experience. Oh and by the way...Earl gave me at least 3 tickets on the way home.
On Thursday, Earl and I headed down to Canad Inn Stadium where Earl had an opportunity to try-out for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They had him sign a Million Dollar contract,which by the way did have a performance clause in it. They suited him up and he headed out to the field, after meeting all the coaches. He had a chance to speak to quite a number of the players on a personal level and then was honored to give them words of encouragement and share his story with them before and after practice. The guys really got a kick out of him, as well as being inspired by his story and his positive, love life attitude. He had a chance to show them how he could kick, tackle and take a few himself. Thanks so much to Jerry, Bob Cameron and the rest of the guys for making this happen. And also to Paul LaPolice for becoming Earl's new best friend.
I will add some pictures and sign off.
Please keep Earl in your prayers, God is good and we Believe in His power to heal and his Love for us.
Debbie...keep in touch.
There has been a change of plans since my last post. The surgeon's have requested a biopsy of Earl's right kidney, to find out what kind of cancer we are dealing with. It could be one of two things.....1) metastases of the original cancer (osteo-genic sarcoma) or a secondary cancer involving the kidney (renal cancer of some kind) The biopsy will confirm this. If it is the later (kidney cancer) there are treatments available that would have a good outcome, and would likely involve surgery but not as radical as if the cancer is sarcoma. Does that make sense.....? The biopsy is tomorrow morning and we will let you when we know. Earl is feeling a little tense and really has convinced himself that he does not want the news to be ...that it is sarcoma! Whatever it is....we know it has to be dealt with promptly as the tumor is growing and Earl is in more and more pain.
Too keep Earl distracted his friends are keeping him busy. He has a new interest in Flea Markets and Cruise night. He is excited that the NHL is back in Winnipeg and that we were able to obtain season tickets, which we will share with my brother and my two nieces and their spouses. It should be lots and lots of fun. Earl is already offering his services to the new team...LOL
Last Monday Earl was Police Chief for the Day, thanks to Jerry and Dave! He had a great time, with Police Chief Keith McCaskill as he inspected the recruits and gave a speech to the whole class. He was well received and his final words to the class were..."...and remember...never taser a guy in the balls..." I sunk down in my chair in embarrassment, but then again, thats Earl. They gave him several gifts one of which was a hockey jersey from the Winnipeg Patrolman hockey team. We finished our visit with a tour of the Winnipeg Police Museum.....Thanks to all involved it was a great experience. Oh and by the way...Earl gave me at least 3 tickets on the way home.
On Thursday, Earl and I headed down to Canad Inn Stadium where Earl had an opportunity to try-out for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They had him sign a Million Dollar contract,which by the way did have a performance clause in it. They suited him up and he headed out to the field, after meeting all the coaches. He had a chance to speak to quite a number of the players on a personal level and then was honored to give them words of encouragement and share his story with them before and after practice. The guys really got a kick out of him, as well as being inspired by his story and his positive, love life attitude. He had a chance to show them how he could kick, tackle and take a few himself. Thanks so much to Jerry, Bob Cameron and the rest of the guys for making this happen. And also to Paul LaPolice for becoming Earl's new best friend.
I will add some pictures and sign off.
Please keep Earl in your prayers, God is good and we Believe in His power to heal and his Love for us.
Debbie...keep in touch.
May 22, 2011
Surgery here we come!
Hi Everyone,
As I have already posted, Earl's tumor has started to grow again, and the next treatment option is surgery. We saw the surgeon on Thursday (May 19th) and we are happy to report that he is prepared to operate on Earl. The surgery will be a lot more advanced than I had ever imagined but we are thrilled (Earl is bursting at the seams) and anxious to get it done. The surgery will involve 3 surgeons the Urologist for the removal of the kidney, the Cardiac surgeon to remove the tumor from the heart and a Vascular surgeon to assess and remedy the veins. The surgery will involve the opening of Earl's sternum again and a procedure called cardiac pulmonary bypass where the stop Earl's heart and cool down his body. The surgeon says he wouldn't perform this on most patients, but Earl is young (feisty) healthy other than the cancer and has a strong will to live. Earl loved the surgeon immediately upon seeing him dressed in scrubs with a hoodie with the words H O C K E Y written across the front
This week Earl will have some tests and will have an appointment with the two other surgeons. He has to be off chemo for 3-4 weeks, so I am guessing that the surgery will take place sometime between June 6th and 14th.
He plans to have lots of fun and get lots of rest in the time leading up to the surgery.
When the time comes you can email him by going to forms.manitoba-ehealth.ca/sbh/wellwishes/default.php and following the directions. I will post the details when we have them. you can also contact me at my email address hopkins5@mts.net
Please add Earl and his doctors to your prayer list .
As I have already posted, Earl's tumor has started to grow again, and the next treatment option is surgery. We saw the surgeon on Thursday (May 19th) and we are happy to report that he is prepared to operate on Earl. The surgery will be a lot more advanced than I had ever imagined but we are thrilled (Earl is bursting at the seams) and anxious to get it done. The surgery will involve 3 surgeons the Urologist for the removal of the kidney, the Cardiac surgeon to remove the tumor from the heart and a Vascular surgeon to assess and remedy the veins. The surgery will involve the opening of Earl's sternum again and a procedure called cardiac pulmonary bypass where the stop Earl's heart and cool down his body. The surgeon says he wouldn't perform this on most patients, but Earl is young (feisty) healthy other than the cancer and has a strong will to live. Earl loved the surgeon immediately upon seeing him dressed in scrubs with a hoodie with the words H O C K E Y written across the front
This week Earl will have some tests and will have an appointment with the two other surgeons. He has to be off chemo for 3-4 weeks, so I am guessing that the surgery will take place sometime between June 6th and 14th.
He plans to have lots of fun and get lots of rest in the time leading up to the surgery.
When the time comes you can email him by going to forms.manitoba-ehealth.ca/sbh/wellwishes/default.php and following the directions. I will post the details when we have them. you can also contact me at my email address hopkins5@mts.net
Please add Earl and his doctors to your prayer list .
May 1, 2011
May Update
Hello Everyone,
Well as May begins, we here in Winnipeg have snow on the ground. After a beautiful week of warm weather and neighbors raking and yard cleaning we have snow. Go figure!
Snow on the ground and bad news from the Dr. seems to start a theme here, but the snow will melt and Earl will beat this cancer! I am sure of that. Just as we can't see or feel the wind...we know it is there and Just as we can't see or feel Jesus we know He is here and present in our lives!!!!! We believe and trust in the power of Jesus and we know he loves Earl....so think about that for a little while....and say a little prayer for Earl as you read the rest of this post.
We saw the oncologist last Tuesday and the results of the latest CT Scan show that the tumor in his kidney and IVC (vena cava) this means that the chemo has stopped working and we move on the the next treatment. Even though in the beginning the docs, said Earl's condition was non operable...they feel it is operable now. The chemo worked enough that they are willing to give it a try, so Earl has been referred to a oncologist/urologist for surgical consideration and/or chemoemoblization.
Please pray that the referral process will go quickly and that we will see the surgeon immediately and that he will have a answer for us.
Have a great Sunday,
Debbie
Well as May begins, we here in Winnipeg have snow on the ground. After a beautiful week of warm weather and neighbors raking and yard cleaning we have snow. Go figure!
Snow on the ground and bad news from the Dr. seems to start a theme here, but the snow will melt and Earl will beat this cancer! I am sure of that. Just as we can't see or feel the wind...we know it is there and Just as we can't see or feel Jesus we know He is here and present in our lives!!!!! We believe and trust in the power of Jesus and we know he loves Earl....so think about that for a little while....and say a little prayer for Earl as you read the rest of this post.
We saw the oncologist last Tuesday and the results of the latest CT Scan show that the tumor in his kidney and IVC (vena cava) this means that the chemo has stopped working and we move on the the next treatment. Even though in the beginning the docs, said Earl's condition was non operable...they feel it is operable now. The chemo worked enough that they are willing to give it a try, so Earl has been referred to a oncologist/urologist for surgical consideration and/or chemoemoblization.
Please pray that the referral process will go quickly and that we will see the surgeon immediately and that he will have a answer for us.
Have a great Sunday,
Debbie
Apr 19, 2011
April Update
Well it is spring and it is still cold...way too cold. But the good news about spring is it is playoff time. Yes Hockey at it's best and for Earl there is nothing he likes better than cheering his Red Wings on once again. As of last night we are 3 and 0 over the Phoenix Coyotes and hopefully will sweep the series. We are hoping they will make it through to the third round, so that we can make it out east again.
Earl is doing well, with the latest MRI showing the tumor in his heart is stable. He has a ct scan this Wednesday night so we will find out what's happening with his kidney and affected vessels. He is on his week off chemo, but still not feeling the best....it really is hard on him, but when he is feeling good there is no stopping him. He will be cheering on the Manitoba Moose who have made their to the playoffs.
Short but sweet!
Take care and keep in touch.
Debbie
Earl is doing well, with the latest MRI showing the tumor in his heart is stable. He has a ct scan this Wednesday night so we will find out what's happening with his kidney and affected vessels. He is on his week off chemo, but still not feeling the best....it really is hard on him, but when he is feeling good there is no stopping him. He will be cheering on the Manitoba Moose who have made their to the playoffs.
Short but sweet!
Take care and keep in touch.
Debbie
Reg Sherren is inspired by Earl
Reg Sherren on "The Earl Factor"
Have you ever met someone who changes the way you look at the world? Well, here's the thing. Two weeks ago, I badly tore some muscle in my calf. I'm a baby(man) anyway, but it hurt...a lot. Now usually I'm inclined to take to my bed for a week, demanding around-the-clock care. But this time, I pushed myself to get up and get on with it. OK, hobble on with it.
Why? Because of Earl Cook. Earl is a young man from Winnipeg whose tenacity in tackling life's challenges can only be described as inspirational. It starts with the fact that he really shouldn't be here. None of the medical experts expected him to survive - born premature and addicted, into poverty, with more health issues than any one person deserves. And then it was the cancer...and again the cancer, and still, at 23, he fights cancer.
But it barely slows him down for a second. He has something to say, something to contribute, or to call it as he sees it. From the first moment I met him, I had to admire this young character, with a goofy grin, always ready with a joke. He has a certain charm, moving around on his one good leg, jumping into his uniform for sledge hockey, talking about his Red Wings. Mike Babcock saw it too, and took Earl under his wing, so to speak.
Yes, that Mike Babcock, Olympic gold medal coach, head coach of the Red Wings.
And above all, I saw Earl's determination to not let his medical challenges decide what he could or could not do. No sir, he says, "Cancer is not the boss, I'm the boss." And he means it. He plays hockey, coaches hockey, all through his chemo, with his guardian angel - his foster mom Debbie - never far from his side.
Oh yes, I can get past this little problem with my leg. And I won't complain...much, thanks to Earl.
Have you ever met someone who changes the way you look at the world? Well, here's the thing. Two weeks ago, I badly tore some muscle in my calf. I'm a baby(man) anyway, but it hurt...a lot. Now usually I'm inclined to take to my bed for a week, demanding around-the-clock care. But this time, I pushed myself to get up and get on with it. OK, hobble on with it.
Why? Because of Earl Cook. Earl is a young man from Winnipeg whose tenacity in tackling life's challenges can only be described as inspirational. It starts with the fact that he really shouldn't be here. None of the medical experts expected him to survive - born premature and addicted, into poverty, with more health issues than any one person deserves. And then it was the cancer...and again the cancer, and still, at 23, he fights cancer.
But it barely slows him down for a second. He has something to say, something to contribute, or to call it as he sees it. From the first moment I met him, I had to admire this young character, with a goofy grin, always ready with a joke. He has a certain charm, moving around on his one good leg, jumping into his uniform for sledge hockey, talking about his Red Wings. Mike Babcock saw it too, and took Earl under his wing, so to speak.
Yes, that Mike Babcock, Olympic gold medal coach, head coach of the Red Wings.
And above all, I saw Earl's determination to not let his medical challenges decide what he could or could not do. No sir, he says, "Cancer is not the boss, I'm the boss." And he means it. He plays hockey, coaches hockey, all through his chemo, with his guardian angel - his foster mom Debbie - never far from his side.
Oh yes, I can get past this little problem with my leg. And I won't complain...much, thanks to Earl.
Mar 19, 2011
Mar 17, 2011
What"s New????
We had such a great time in Minneapolis....I can't begin to tell you! We headed out on Friday and we were all very excited...to be on our road trip. We went with our good friends Bruce and Debbie Tervoort and their daughter, Brittany and her boyfriend Keith. We all had a little surprise for Earl, in that Brittany had convinced us that we should buy tickets to the Anaheim vs Wild game that night. We didn't tell Earl until we were almost in Minnie, that we weren't actually going to hotel first. He was so excited he was close to tears. Oh how we all love a good surprise. After we told him the plan I showed him an email from Andreas Lilja, his friend who plays for Anaheim, telling us he had passes for us to go down after the game....it was awesome. Not only did we get a chance to visit with Lils, but we met Teemu Selani, former Winnipeg Jet and hockey great, but we met Jason Blake and Saku Koivu who are players who have also survived cancer. Earl was so excited to meet them and let them know how they inspired him.
We spent to next day shopping and shopping and did I say shopping!!! On Sunday we headed of to the Excel Energy Center to see our Boys the Red Wings play against the Wild. We arrived early, because we had a date with CBC TV's Reg Sherren and producer Terry and cameraman Warren. Yes Earl had his very own crew....! We headed down to the dressing room before the game and let's just say it was so much fun and Earl was so in his "Happy Place" If you get a chance to watch Earl's documentary you will get a very good first hand look at Earl hanging with the team. The Wings won and we were excited because Todd Bertuzzi got his 1000th goal. Yeah Todd. After the game we headed down to the dressing room and continued recording our experience.
Since that weekend we had another little trip as we headed out to Leduc Alberta so that Earl could participate in his very first Sledge Hockey Tournament. He played four games as goalie for the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, slating 2 shutouts and only allowing 2 goals. The team was a great bunch and welcomed Earl with a great team spirit. Earl was just bursting with excitement as they won all four games and were presented with the Gold medal.
Earl's documentary can be seen on CBC's "The National" on Friday March 18th at 10:pm and heard on CBC's "The Current" on Friday morning after the 8:30 traffic report.
Next week we head out to Detroit to watch a few games and hang out with family, friends and the team.
Take care,
Debbie
We spent to next day shopping and shopping and did I say shopping!!! On Sunday we headed of to the Excel Energy Center to see our Boys the Red Wings play against the Wild. We arrived early, because we had a date with CBC TV's Reg Sherren and producer Terry and cameraman Warren. Yes Earl had his very own crew....! We headed down to the dressing room before the game and let's just say it was so much fun and Earl was so in his "Happy Place" If you get a chance to watch Earl's documentary you will get a very good first hand look at Earl hanging with the team. The Wings won and we were excited because Todd Bertuzzi got his 1000th goal. Yeah Todd. After the game we headed down to the dressing room and continued recording our experience.
Since that weekend we had another little trip as we headed out to Leduc Alberta so that Earl could participate in his very first Sledge Hockey Tournament. He played four games as goalie for the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, slating 2 shutouts and only allowing 2 goals. The team was a great bunch and welcomed Earl with a great team spirit. Earl was just bursting with excitement as they won all four games and were presented with the Gold medal.
Earl's documentary can be seen on CBC's "The National" on Friday March 18th at 10:pm and heard on CBC's "The Current" on Friday morning after the 8:30 traffic report.
Next week we head out to Detroit to watch a few games and hang out with family, friends and the team.
Take care,
Debbie
Feb 17, 2011
Off to Minnieapolis this weekend to hang out with the Wings.
HI Everyone,
Just a quick update to let you know that we are off to Minnie, this weekend to see the Wings vs The Wild on Sunday @ 11:30am. It will be televised on NBC so keep an eye out. The team from CBC "The National" will be filming and interviewing Earl for the upcomming documentary they are working on. We are hoping that Earl will be able to be at the bench as the team goes out for the pre game warm-up so keep your eyes open.
Also Earl and I are heading out to Edmonton (Leduc) next weekend as Earl will be playing in a Sledge Hockey Tournament. He will be playing for another team (Sask) as they needed a goalie. He is very excited and very much looking forward to the tournament experience.
Take care,
Debbie
Just a quick update to let you know that we are off to Minnie, this weekend to see the Wings vs The Wild on Sunday @ 11:30am. It will be televised on NBC so keep an eye out. The team from CBC "The National" will be filming and interviewing Earl for the upcomming documentary they are working on. We are hoping that Earl will be able to be at the bench as the team goes out for the pre game warm-up so keep your eyes open.
Also Earl and I are heading out to Edmonton (Leduc) next weekend as Earl will be playing in a Sledge Hockey Tournament. He will be playing for another team (Sask) as they needed a goalie. He is very excited and very much looking forward to the tournament experience.
Take care,
Debbie
Feb 3, 2011
Great News!
God is So Good!!!!
Earl has had a very busy week. The first thing to share is that after the very inspirational documentary done about Earl by friends Jessica Cable, the phone rang with a request for Earl to agree to being the "star" of a CBC Radio documentary for "the Current" and a CBC Television documentary for "The National". Of course he said yes, so the last couple of weeks have been busy with interviews and film footage. We also appeared on CBC local radio with Mike Babcock...that was so much fun.
Earl had the great opportunity to play sledge hockey against Team Canada and the camera's were there to catch some of it. He was so excited to be playing against these amazing athletes and enjoyed some chat with them. He was happy to have Billy Bridges on his team, as Billy is known to have one of the hardest shots in the world. Earl did take one from Billy off the head in the warm-ups and lived to tell us all about how it felt....physically!
This week Earl had several appointments at Cancercare, which included a visit with his oncologist and bloodwork on Monday. Suzanne Dufresne from "The Current" was there to carry on an interview with us and Dr. Wong. Then on Wednesday morning bright and early Earl had a CT scan which was filmed by the TV guys from "The National" and then today we had both radio and TV with us for Earl's Chemo treatment. The next exciting part will be when the TV guys travel to Minnieapolis with us in a few weeks to watch the Wings play the Wild. Keep your eyes on the blog and watch for the times that these documentary will be aired.
Now for the really good news. While at the hospital today we actually received the results from the CT scan done yesterday.. You can imagine our absolute joy and excitement as Dr Wong told us that the tumor in Earls kidney is dying....Yes I said THE TUMOR IN EARL'S KIDNEY IS DYING!!!!! An MRI earlier in January showed that the tumor in his heart continues to shrink, but honestly we did not think we would see results in the kidney just yet. The chemo will continue and we continue to pray that it continues to be effective. One thing I feel I have to stress is that this chemo was not expected to be as effective as it is proving itself to be.
Praise our mighty Lord and Savior who is the great physician and who displays how much he loves Earl. This is not a coincidence friends this is God working a miracle to show us that He can! Praise Him!
Keep watching!
Debbie
Earl has had a very busy week. The first thing to share is that after the very inspirational documentary done about Earl by friends Jessica Cable, the phone rang with a request for Earl to agree to being the "star" of a CBC Radio documentary for "the Current" and a CBC Television documentary for "The National". Of course he said yes, so the last couple of weeks have been busy with interviews and film footage. We also appeared on CBC local radio with Mike Babcock...that was so much fun.
Earl had the great opportunity to play sledge hockey against Team Canada and the camera's were there to catch some of it. He was so excited to be playing against these amazing athletes and enjoyed some chat with them. He was happy to have Billy Bridges on his team, as Billy is known to have one of the hardest shots in the world. Earl did take one from Billy off the head in the warm-ups and lived to tell us all about how it felt....physically!
This week Earl had several appointments at Cancercare, which included a visit with his oncologist and bloodwork on Monday. Suzanne Dufresne from "The Current" was there to carry on an interview with us and Dr. Wong. Then on Wednesday morning bright and early Earl had a CT scan which was filmed by the TV guys from "The National" and then today we had both radio and TV with us for Earl's Chemo treatment. The next exciting part will be when the TV guys travel to Minnieapolis with us in a few weeks to watch the Wings play the Wild. Keep your eyes on the blog and watch for the times that these documentary will be aired.
Now for the really good news. While at the hospital today we actually received the results from the CT scan done yesterday.. You can imagine our absolute joy and excitement as Dr Wong told us that the tumor in Earls kidney is dying....Yes I said THE TUMOR IN EARL'S KIDNEY IS DYING!!!!! An MRI earlier in January showed that the tumor in his heart continues to shrink, but honestly we did not think we would see results in the kidney just yet. The chemo will continue and we continue to pray that it continues to be effective. One thing I feel I have to stress is that this chemo was not expected to be as effective as it is proving itself to be.
Praise our mighty Lord and Savior who is the great physician and who displays how much he loves Earl. This is not a coincidence friends this is God working a miracle to show us that He can! Praise Him!
Keep watching!
Debbie
Jan 3, 2011
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
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
Nov 19, 2010
LATEST SCAN REULTS ARE IN!!!!!!
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME GOOD NEWS........!!!!!!
WE HAVE THE LATEST SCAN RESULTS FOR EARL"S CANCER. THE TUMOR IN HIS HEART HAS DECREASED IN SIZE AGAIN, BY HALF AND THE TUMOR IN HIS RIGHT KIDNEY IS DECREASING! YEAH AND PRAISE GOD WHO WE KNOW CAN DO ANYTHING.
The original tumor in his heart measured 5.4 and the first MRI showed it had decreased to 2.4 and now is measuring 1.5cm. The impressions of the report also state that the tumor in his right kidney is less bulky. I will have a better understanding of the details once I get the written report.
I have more news, but no time right now, but promise I will update soon.
Praise God,
Debbie
WE HAVE THE LATEST SCAN RESULTS FOR EARL"S CANCER. THE TUMOR IN HIS HEART HAS DECREASED IN SIZE AGAIN, BY HALF AND THE TUMOR IN HIS RIGHT KIDNEY IS DECREASING! YEAH AND PRAISE GOD WHO WE KNOW CAN DO ANYTHING.
The original tumor in his heart measured 5.4 and the first MRI showed it had decreased to 2.4 and now is measuring 1.5cm. The impressions of the report also state that the tumor in his right kidney is less bulky. I will have a better understanding of the details once I get the written report.
I have more news, but no time right now, but promise I will update soon.
Praise God,
Debbie
Oct 19, 2010
October Update
I can't seem to keep this blog up to date....at least not as much as Earl would like. I have thought of letting him update it himself, but then it would turn into another one of those "hockey blogs" and some of you would be bored by that.
Well as of today, Earl continues to battle hard and what a fight it can be at times. This month his chemo was delayed by two weeks due to an infection in and the removal of two of his wisdom teeth. So all in all he had no treatment for 1 month. Needless to say the first round back was pretty rough. He saw Dr. Wong today and is ready to go for chemo again tomorrow. In case any of you are wondering how long he will be on chemo.....the answer quite honestly is we don't know. As long as the tumor is still there and as long as Earl is still responding well (that is that the tumor continues to shrink) he will remain on this chemo. (gemcitabine is a fairly low dose drug/poison and therefore he can be on it for a fairly long time)
As many of you know life is never dull with Earl and this past weekend was the perfect example. When we found out that the AHL team Grand Rapids (Michigan) Griffins were coming to town to play our very own Manitoba Moose we made sure we purchased our tickets. The Griffins are the farm team to the Detroit Red Wings and from our many visits with the team we have come to know several people who are involved with the Griffins. We were able to touch base with them and as Earl's reputation proceeds him, we were welcomed with open arms. The first game on Friday night saw the Griff's win 1 -0 which makes it so much fun to go down into the dressing room. Earl was so excited to meet the guys he didn't know and to touch base with the one's he does know. Earl was on a special assignment from a certain coach and was to report back with his findings. Well this made for a great time for Earl as he loves to study the game and the players. I just hang around in the background smiling and so full of pride for him. This started the weekend and then first thing Saturday morning we were back at the rink for the morning skate and more time for Earl to hang out and fool around with the boys in the locker room.....to be cont'd
Oct. 20th - I spent some time chatting with Bob Kaser the Vice President of Community Relations and Broadcasting and the voice of the Griffs on the radio. Earl made such and impression on the coaches that he was invited into the dressing room before the game to announce the starting line-up and give the pre-game pep talk to the team. He did a great job and I will try and figure out how to post this video clip. Earl and I were invited up to the broadcasting booth to watch the game with Bob Kaser and it was quite funny when we ran into Craig Heisinger the GM for the Moose and had to tell him that we were with the visiting team. It was great to watch the game from way up there and it was even better when the Griffins won 2-1. It was very exciting to go down into the dressing room after the game and Earl was given full credit for his encouraging speech which led the team to a win. After the game we went to Moxies where Earl hung out with the team while I sat back and had some quiet time at my own table. It was a late night for Earl...and did I tell you he played Sledge hockey before we went to the gane.
Earl will have chemo today and I pray and ask for your prayers as well that he will recover quickly and that the chemo would have a powerful effect on shrinking the tumor. Earl and I leave for Toronto and Detroit on Monday for a week so he wants to feel good and strong. We will be visiting at MT Sinai, Dr Wunder and 11south, then going to TSN for a visit and then onto Elmira to visit our friends the Allison's and Mark in his new appt. After that we head to Windsor and then to Detroit. We will be see the DRW play Phoenix and Nashville on Thursday and Saturday. Earl's friend and Winnipeger Colin Wilson plays for Nashville and so we look forward to seeing him play. Sorry Colin but our hearts are with the Red Wings, but we promise to cheer when you score. We have also been invited to a game in Grand Rapids on Friday night so we will have a little roadtrip and a lot of fun. Then the final activity will be a Detroit Lions Football game with our good friend Billy Ritchie.
Well that's it for now...Earl will be happy!
Take Care until the next time
Debbie
Well as of today, Earl continues to battle hard and what a fight it can be at times. This month his chemo was delayed by two weeks due to an infection in and the removal of two of his wisdom teeth. So all in all he had no treatment for 1 month. Needless to say the first round back was pretty rough. He saw Dr. Wong today and is ready to go for chemo again tomorrow. In case any of you are wondering how long he will be on chemo.....the answer quite honestly is we don't know. As long as the tumor is still there and as long as Earl is still responding well (that is that the tumor continues to shrink) he will remain on this chemo. (gemcitabine is a fairly low dose drug/poison and therefore he can be on it for a fairly long time)
As many of you know life is never dull with Earl and this past weekend was the perfect example. When we found out that the AHL team Grand Rapids (Michigan) Griffins were coming to town to play our very own Manitoba Moose we made sure we purchased our tickets. The Griffins are the farm team to the Detroit Red Wings and from our many visits with the team we have come to know several people who are involved with the Griffins. We were able to touch base with them and as Earl's reputation proceeds him, we were welcomed with open arms. The first game on Friday night saw the Griff's win 1 -0 which makes it so much fun to go down into the dressing room. Earl was so excited to meet the guys he didn't know and to touch base with the one's he does know. Earl was on a special assignment from a certain coach and was to report back with his findings. Well this made for a great time for Earl as he loves to study the game and the players. I just hang around in the background smiling and so full of pride for him. This started the weekend and then first thing Saturday morning we were back at the rink for the morning skate and more time for Earl to hang out and fool around with the boys in the locker room.....to be cont'd
Oct. 20th - I spent some time chatting with Bob Kaser the Vice President of Community Relations and Broadcasting and the voice of the Griffs on the radio. Earl made such and impression on the coaches that he was invited into the dressing room before the game to announce the starting line-up and give the pre-game pep talk to the team. He did a great job and I will try and figure out how to post this video clip. Earl and I were invited up to the broadcasting booth to watch the game with Bob Kaser and it was quite funny when we ran into Craig Heisinger the GM for the Moose and had to tell him that we were with the visiting team. It was great to watch the game from way up there and it was even better when the Griffins won 2-1. It was very exciting to go down into the dressing room after the game and Earl was given full credit for his encouraging speech which led the team to a win. After the game we went to Moxies where Earl hung out with the team while I sat back and had some quiet time at my own table. It was a late night for Earl...and did I tell you he played Sledge hockey before we went to the gane.
Earl will have chemo today and I pray and ask for your prayers as well that he will recover quickly and that the chemo would have a powerful effect on shrinking the tumor. Earl and I leave for Toronto and Detroit on Monday for a week so he wants to feel good and strong. We will be visiting at MT Sinai, Dr Wunder and 11south, then going to TSN for a visit and then onto Elmira to visit our friends the Allison's and Mark in his new appt. After that we head to Windsor and then to Detroit. We will be see the DRW play Phoenix and Nashville on Thursday and Saturday. Earl's friend and Winnipeger Colin Wilson plays for Nashville and so we look forward to seeing him play. Sorry Colin but our hearts are with the Red Wings, but we promise to cheer when you score. We have also been invited to a game in Grand Rapids on Friday night so we will have a little roadtrip and a lot of fun. Then the final activity will be a Detroit Lions Football game with our good friend Billy Ritchie.
Well that's it for now...Earl will be happy!
Take Care until the next time
Debbie
Sep 10, 2010
Are you ready for some GREAT news!
HI Everyone,
Surprise Surprise, I am updating much sooner than usual....but remember the old saying!
No news is good news! Well forget I said that, just for today...because this news is good news and I just updated the BLOG a few weeks ago.
We have received a preliminary report from Earl's latest heart MRI. We are still excited and pray that the Sigificant Decrease in size of the tumor in Earl's heart!!!!!!!! yes you read correctly>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Significant decrease continues.
Earl's chemo is working and so it will continue!
Don't forget to come out for the Terry Fox Run on September 19th. Remember to join Earl's team online today. Earl Cook Family and Friends located on the Terry Fox .org website.
ANYONE CAN JOIN....EVEN IF YOU CAN'T BE THERE....YOU CAN RAISE A DOLLAR (REMEMBER WHAT TERRY SAID) OR SPONSOR EARL, ME OR ANYONE ELSE!
Take care......I am so happy,
Debbie
Surprise Surprise, I am updating much sooner than usual....but remember the old saying!
No news is good news! Well forget I said that, just for today...because this news is good news and I just updated the BLOG a few weeks ago.
We have received a preliminary report from Earl's latest heart MRI. We are still excited and pray that the Sigificant Decrease in size of the tumor in Earl's heart!!!!!!!! yes you read correctly>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Significant decrease continues.
Earl's chemo is working and so it will continue!
Don't forget to come out for the Terry Fox Run on September 19th. Remember to join Earl's team online today. Earl Cook Family and Friends located on the Terry Fox .org website.
ANYONE CAN JOIN....EVEN IF YOU CAN'T BE THERE....YOU CAN RAISE A DOLLAR (REMEMBER WHAT TERRY SAID) OR SPONSOR EARL, ME OR ANYONE ELSE!
Take care......I am so happy,
Debbie
Sep 2, 2010
It's Terry Fox Time
Terry Fox Marathon of Hope 30th Anniversary Cross-Canada Run 2010
Mark Sunday September 19, 2010 on your calendar and make sure you join Earl's Team. We really want a big group this year. If you can't come out for the run on that day....we still want you on our team. If you make a donation you are on our team...you just have to take a minute and register your name. Let's help Earl...help Terry's foundation this year by showing our support.
Mark Sunday September 19, 2010 on your calendar and make sure you join Earl's Team. We really want a big group this year. If you can't come out for the run on that day....we still want you on our team. If you make a donation you are on our team...you just have to take a minute and register your name. Let's help Earl...help Terry's foundation this year by showing our support.
Aug 29, 2010
August Update
Hi Everyone As we near the end of summer...some people are sad, but in this house we know one person who is happy. His name is Earl.....!!!! Why you may ask, well OBVIOUSLY hockey season will soon be upon us. Earl has kept up with all the free agents and trades and prospects (boy I am learning alot about hockey) He has had a number of conversations with the Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and feels like it could very well be a good year for his team. He is very much looking forward to October when we will make our first trip of the season to Detroit and his team. He has chatted also with some of the players over the summer and I thank them all and Mike for keeping him interested in fighting his personal battle with cancer.
September brings our annual participation in the Terry Fox Run at Assiniboine Park here in Winnipeg. Join us if you can in person or in Spirit on September 19th. This will be our fourth year and we hope to make our team bigger and raise more money than ever before. Watch for details on the blog or on facebook. You can call us if you like at 487-0077
Other news for September is that Earl may be helping coach the Vincent Massey girls hockey team and the best news, at least for Earl is that the Dr's have said he can play hockey again. I told Earl I reserve the right to give the final okay until after the results of the MRI he will have this Tuesday.
Chemo update: Earl continues to have chemo and so far it seems to be working. The latest CT scan shows no measurable growth and the MRI will give us a better picture of the condition of his heart. Stand by for more news within the 2 weeks.
We had a great trip to Montreal on a few weeks ago spending time getting to know our new friends the Curtis family. What a great time we had and Earl was feeling so good and strong.
We also had a visit to a friends cottage in Lake of the Woods. I really feel blessed by all of our great friends.
Take care
Debbie
September brings our annual participation in the Terry Fox Run at Assiniboine Park here in Winnipeg. Join us if you can in person or in Spirit on September 19th. This will be our fourth year and we hope to make our team bigger and raise more money than ever before. Watch for details on the blog or on facebook. You can call us if you like at 487-0077
Other news for September is that Earl may be helping coach the Vincent Massey girls hockey team and the best news, at least for Earl is that the Dr's have said he can play hockey again. I told Earl I reserve the right to give the final okay until after the results of the MRI he will have this Tuesday.
Chemo update: Earl continues to have chemo and so far it seems to be working. The latest CT scan shows no measurable growth and the MRI will give us a better picture of the condition of his heart. Stand by for more news within the 2 weeks.
We had a great trip to Montreal on a few weeks ago spending time getting to know our new friends the Curtis family. What a great time we had and Earl was feeling so good and strong.
We also had a visit to a friends cottage in Lake of the Woods. I really feel blessed by all of our great friends.
Take care
Debbie
Jul 16, 2010
HI Everyone,
Please forgive me for not updating this blog. Life just seems to slip by and I forget. I was just reading my niece's blog (ithinkiwillgoforawalk.blogspot.com) and was reminded that there are many people out there that care and a want to know what is going on, but are too afraid to ask or too afraid to bother us. So for those of you and all the rest here is a long awaited update.
Earl is back on chemo and it is much more difficult that it ever has been, but in saying that the wonderful pharmacist's at St B are concocting many meds to help him.
He is currently taking 3 anti-nausea drugs to keep from being sick. They work for that but make him feel quite drugged for 2 days. Now in saying that it doesn't keep Earl down for long and he is anxious to see his friends and follow his hockey analysis. Coach Babcock has Earl keeping an eye on things for him and Earl takes it very seriously...making sure he doesn't miss a chance to call Mike and give him the latest news, concerning free agents, trades and any changes going on in the NHL. What would he do without hockey.....it's his reason for living.
Earl's chemo regime is two weeks on chemo and then 1 off always on Wednesday with bloodwork the day before and an oncology appt every 3 weeks. He will have some scans at the end of the month to see how the chemo is affecting the tumor that is in his right kidney, renal veins, inferior vena cava (IVC) and 2 chambers of his heart. The last scan did show that the chemo was working and there was no visible growth in the size of the tumor. The next scan should reveal more and we are anxious for that report.
We were hoping to get away for a holiday out east, but we don't want to take a break from chemo so we will hold on to that plan. so for now we are hanging close to home and looking forward to any excuse to get out for a few hours and have some fun together as a family. Our next very exciting outing is going to see BonJovi and Kid Rock tomorrow night. There are a whole bunch of us going so it should be a fun night....hopefully Earl will not get too tired.
Take care, have a good summer and give us a call.
Debbie
Please forgive me for not updating this blog. Life just seems to slip by and I forget. I was just reading my niece's blog (ithinkiwillgoforawalk.blogspot.com) and was reminded that there are many people out there that care and a want to know what is going on, but are too afraid to ask or too afraid to bother us. So for those of you and all the rest here is a long awaited update.
Earl is back on chemo and it is much more difficult that it ever has been, but in saying that the wonderful pharmacist's at St B are concocting many meds to help him.
He is currently taking 3 anti-nausea drugs to keep from being sick. They work for that but make him feel quite drugged for 2 days. Now in saying that it doesn't keep Earl down for long and he is anxious to see his friends and follow his hockey analysis. Coach Babcock has Earl keeping an eye on things for him and Earl takes it very seriously...making sure he doesn't miss a chance to call Mike and give him the latest news, concerning free agents, trades and any changes going on in the NHL. What would he do without hockey.....it's his reason for living.
Earl's chemo regime is two weeks on chemo and then 1 off always on Wednesday with bloodwork the day before and an oncology appt every 3 weeks. He will have some scans at the end of the month to see how the chemo is affecting the tumor that is in his right kidney, renal veins, inferior vena cava (IVC) and 2 chambers of his heart. The last scan did show that the chemo was working and there was no visible growth in the size of the tumor. The next scan should reveal more and we are anxious for that report.
We were hoping to get away for a holiday out east, but we don't want to take a break from chemo so we will hold on to that plan. so for now we are hanging close to home and looking forward to any excuse to get out for a few hours and have some fun together as a family. Our next very exciting outing is going to see BonJovi and Kid Rock tomorrow night. There are a whole bunch of us going so it should be a fun night....hopefully Earl will not get too tired.
Take care, have a good summer and give us a call.
Debbie
Jun 16, 2010
Good News
Hi Everyone,
I am happy to say "we have some good news" At our most recent visit to the oncologists we received the report on the latest MRI of Earl's heart, chest and abdomen, which shows little/or no growth of the tumor. This means that Earl is responding to the chemo and will continue being treated. Today he will start cycle 3 of his treatment. We have no information on how long the treatment will go on for, but I would feel hopeful in saying that we will continue until the tumor is DEAD.
Needless to say he is feeling pretty good and is actually driving us a little mad with his chatter and bubbly personality LOL......
Take care,
Debbie
I am happy to say "we have some good news" At our most recent visit to the oncologists we received the report on the latest MRI of Earl's heart, chest and abdomen, which shows little/or no growth of the tumor. This means that Earl is responding to the chemo and will continue being treated. Today he will start cycle 3 of his treatment. We have no information on how long the treatment will go on for, but I would feel hopeful in saying that we will continue until the tumor is DEAD.
Needless to say he is feeling pretty good and is actually driving us a little mad with his chatter and bubbly personality LOL......
Take care,
Debbie
Jun 8, 2010
June update
Hi Everyone,
Can you believe it's June already, and it won't be long before the kids and many of my friends are finished school and enjoying what we hope will be a beautiful summer.
Earl has now completed two cycles/4 treatments of chemo and it hasn't been easy for him. We are so surprised to see him having such a tough time, because compared to the chemo he had in the beginning this should be a cake walk, but for some reason Earl, whom we can never quite figure out, is really struggling with this milder chemo. He feels like he has the flu and needs a lot of rest. But Earl, as one would expect is remaining positive and determined to beat this. He certainly has his down days and we do our best to turn that around for him...usually all it takes is a phone call from one of his hockey friends, a little locker room advice or a pep talk, a story about how he is and inspiration to one person or another and he is good again. His energy gets depleted rather quickly so he has to be careful about picking and choosing which activities and how many he can manage each day.
Earl had his MRI this past Friday and we see the Dr. on the 14th, so please keep him in your prayers as we anxiously await the results. We are hoping that we will see some evidence that the chemo is working.
We are all very excited about his upcoming fundraiser, especially to see our many friends, family and supporters. I have just about sold all 250 tickets and we have had so many generous donations....thank-you....thank-you....thank-you!
Take Care,
Debbie
Can you believe it's June already, and it won't be long before the kids and many of my friends are finished school and enjoying what we hope will be a beautiful summer.
Earl has now completed two cycles/4 treatments of chemo and it hasn't been easy for him. We are so surprised to see him having such a tough time, because compared to the chemo he had in the beginning this should be a cake walk, but for some reason Earl, whom we can never quite figure out, is really struggling with this milder chemo. He feels like he has the flu and needs a lot of rest. But Earl, as one would expect is remaining positive and determined to beat this. He certainly has his down days and we do our best to turn that around for him...usually all it takes is a phone call from one of his hockey friends, a little locker room advice or a pep talk, a story about how he is and inspiration to one person or another and he is good again. His energy gets depleted rather quickly so he has to be careful about picking and choosing which activities and how many he can manage each day.
Earl had his MRI this past Friday and we see the Dr. on the 14th, so please keep him in your prayers as we anxiously await the results. We are hoping that we will see some evidence that the chemo is working.
We are all very excited about his upcoming fundraiser, especially to see our many friends, family and supporters. I have just about sold all 250 tickets and we have had so many generous donations....thank-you....thank-you....thank-you!
Take Care,
Debbie
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Getting to know Earl
Earl and the Kickers
Earl's Trip To Minnie
Checking out the New Guys
Earl and Paul Lapolice