October 27, 2009~*~Larry's Houston stay is almost over.....I'm not kidding!!!

Hello everyone,

So sorry for not keeping everyone up to date with Larry but his progress has been e-x-t-r-e-m-el-y slow. His counts would come up then they would go down, he would gain weight then he would lose it, his attitude would be real good then he would get real grouchy and I've never been a fan of roller coaster rides:-) He did call me yesterday and tell me that the doctor said he could come home next week. Wednesday, November 4,2009 will be his last doctor's appointment in Houston until next month. If Larry gets out of his appointment early enough he will head home, if not he will come home the next morning. He has already made an appointment with his doctor in Tyler for Friday, November 6, 2009. He will have to see him three times a week for a while until his platelet counts start coming up but his Houston doctor told him that he guarantees as soon as he comes home they will start rising.

Larry has lost down to 123 lbs. but says he's eating everything he can get his hands on (well almost). The doctor said he could eat raw tomatoes and raw onions as long as he washes them well. Larry said he'd scrub them with a scrub brush if he had to just to finally get to eat them. He hasn't had any raw fruits or veggies since last year because of his counts being so low. At first it wasn't a big deal but the longer he goes without them the more he's been craving them . He said as soon as they give him the all clear on them he's just going to pig out. He said he never realized how much he liked raw fruits and veggies until he couldn't have them. The doctor said Larry should start gaining weight as soon as they finally get him off his steroid pills which shouldn't be much longer. Larry has already placed an order for my home made spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. I told him I'd be more than happy to fix it for him. It may take me a while to get back in the cooking mode since I haven't cooked much since he's been gone but I intend to cook almost anything he want's in order for him to GAIN WEIGHT!!!!!!!!! I simply can't stand the fact that he weighs LESS than I do.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Linda Huff ,his sister for donating the stem cells and helping us out through all of this. Billy Roberts, his dad has put up with Larry's ups and downs and stayed with him 24-7 through this whole ordeal. Ann Houchen, his mother has been so loving and supportive in more ways than I can count. There is no way we will ever be able to repay you for all that you has done. Jason and Yvonne Rentz, our son and daughter in law have been there for us from the very start and helped me with the yard work, pasture work, and household problems, and a shoulder to lean on when I got down. There are so many friends and co-workers at Larry's work that made this all bearable. Thank you Gene Hancock for loaning Larry your camper to live in while in Houston. We really appreciate your generosity and your friendship. Becky Lusk, you are such a wonderful person. You have gone to such great lengths to help us out and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done and continue to do. Elmer Birdwell, even though you are Larry's boss you are also his friend and that has meant so much to him. He listened to your advise when he wouldn't listen to anyone else and you kept him going when he was almost ready to give up and we thank you. Jeanetta Stevens, our very thoughtful neighbor has taken care of our critters while I went to Houston and stayed with Larry more times than I care to count. You have also been there for me when I just needed to talk and I thank you so much for all you have done for us. I couldn't ask for a better neighbor or friend. Our church family has been very supportive and so thoughtful and your prayers and words of encouragement have meant so much. We love you all so much. Leslie Holmes, thank you for opening your heart and home to me whenever I need you. Thank you for being my friend, sharing and listening when I just needed to talk and thank you for teaching me more than just horsemanship, thank you for teaching me what it means to be a true friend. I also want to thank you for my very special "Baby Doll" whom I simply adore. To my sister and brother in law Janet and Richard Schmidt, thank you for being there and helping us get the camper to Houston and back to Gene Hancock's house more than once. Thank you also for your love and prayers, we love you, too. Janey and Gary Crawford, thank you for caring, sharing, laughing with me and helping me through this long and bumpy trail ride this year. Your prayers have meant a great deal to us. I thank each and every person that God has placed in our life. This has been a very hard year for us but we have learned so much from this experience and from each one of you. Larry still has a long road ahead but knowing all of you are there for us and praying for us makes it all bearable. Thank you to all of our family and friends for your love, prayers and support. We love you.

God Bless you all,

Jean Roberts