GOODBYE PAUL

Those of you who follow our blog I am sure are aware that Paul passed away Dec. 31st. This blog was his job, sort of a journal of our lives and he did such a wonderful job that I left it all to him. He had an excellent way with words. But now that he is gone this is one thing that I know he would like continued and kept up to date if only as a tool to remember what we did when and how. So I will continue it on even though it is very hard for me to do right now. Emotions and feelings are still very tender. There will probably be some mistakes but I will try.

Maybe a little history first. Over the past 9 months Paul seemed to catch every cold or infection going around. We joked about it but as I look back I think that is when all of his problems started. His immune system was just not working the way it was supposed to and it only showed problems when he was really down with something and so in terms of a physical nothing showed up.

After our cruise to the Caribbean during which Paul was not feeling well (he had a fever which we would knock down with tylenol when it got to high the first part of the cruise). We came home and went back in for more tests at Huntsman. They had called and had found something else in the bone biopsy they wanted to check into. It showed that he was either allergic to some medication he was taking or some infection was present that was lowering his white blood count. He also had another cold and his fevers were starting to come back as we went in for further tests. We came in for another appointment the day before Thanksgiving and because of fevers. chills and low counts the doctor decided to have him admitted and see if things changed. For three days they gave him liquids through IV until he was feeling pretty good. We were discharged for the weekend with an appointment the following Monday. The weekend was not good and by Monday he was readmitted and doctors gathered to try and decide the problem. Infectious Disease Doctors, Hematologists, Cancer specialists poked and prodded and requested tests. The results showed Stage One Multiple Myeloma Cancer in his bone marrow but they could not decide or detect the cause of his fevers and low blood count. The symptons were very atypical of Multiple Myeloma. It was as if something were devouring his white cells and platelets. He was put on high dosage antibiotics, anti fungal medications and something to control viral infections. At this point we were transfered down to the main University Hospital in the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Myeloma Program. Nothing seemed to be working to stop the low counts and so with most of the doctors agreeing they decided to start him on a Chemotherapy treatment for the multiple myeloma hoping the treatment would kill the cells causing the autoimmune problem. Doctors felt he had a HLH syndrome caused by the cancer. The possibility of MDS syndrome also came up but most consulting doctors felt that the HLH was the underlying cause. Starting Chemo he was nauseated and didn't feel well but the fevers went away and and he did fairly well although his counts were still very low with several whole blood and platelet transfusions needed. Below is a picture of him during Chemo listening to a movie he had recorded on the IPad.

The Chemo treatment started Dec. 11th and went through 11 days at which time his body should have then started to produce white cells and platelets and healthy red cells. On day 11 he woke up to a systemic infection . Doctors upped the dosage on all of the antibiotics and anti fungal medications and took many more tests. By Wednesday the 22nd he was having problems with breathing and keeping a steady heart rate and was moved to the Intensive Care Unit. It was found that he had a massive fungal (yeast) infection. By this time he was in a semi coma and so wasn't feeling much but was a very sick man. They tried the very high powered anti fungal medications as well as low dosage of other antibiotics but his body was still not producing any white blood cells to help the medications. Doctors took one more bone biopsy on the 29th to see if there was an indication he was producing white cells in his bone marrow. By Friday the 31st when the test results showed no bone marrow production and the chief pharmacist told us that the medications were not controlling the infection. It was getting worse and the infection had spread to his brain. He was in a full coma by then so we decided to let him go in peace and not try to keep him alive mechanically. He was ready or at least his body was ready and he died about 45 minutes later. He was probably chiding me because I didn't let him go a few days earlier but I and my family needed those few extra days to know that it was right that he was to go.

I know I am rambling but this is probably for me more than anyone else to be able to say goodbye and know that I did everything that we could to give him additional time on earth. It was just not meant to be. He always feared that once he was diagnosed with something (ie. cancer or something else) that he would die quickly just like his mother did 35 years before and being the pessimist to the last that is what happened. He is probably now saying, "I told you so." Two months after we found he had a problem he died as he had always feared. But as Paul's brother said "all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again." We tried but nothing worked.

Paul's brother and sister as well as Mike, Carrie and Jon were all involved the last couple of weeks when Paul was going downhill and I am so thankful for their support and help. My sisters and their families and several neices and nephews were also a strength and a help.

Above is the picture we attached to the obituary. The picture at the beginning and this picture so remind me of Paul and the life he lived. He worked, played and served with enthusiam, giving whatever he was invovled in his full attention. We all miss him but are so thankful we had him with us as long as we did.

Obituary for Paul:

Paul passed away Dec. 31, 2010 surrounded by his family after a valiant battle with complications from cancer treatment.

Paul was born Sept. 3, 1941 in Glendale, CA, second child of John and Dorothy.

Paul grew up in La Canada, California, graduating from John Muir High School in Pasadena. He attened college in Utah, graduating from BYU in physics followed by an MBA degree. He served a misson for the LDS Church in Northern German from 1961 to 1963 and grew to love the German people and their history.

Paul met Marolynn while attending graduate school and they were later married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1969.

Paul worked in budget development both in private and government settings. He began in Portland, Oregon as a budge analyst for Multnomah County, moving to Richland, Washington to work for the Washington Public Power Supply Company. Because of his interst in computers he became head of the IT department for United Nuclear in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Later Paul went back to county government, retiring in 2009 from Santa Fe County as their Budget Administrator.

Paul was an active member of the LDS Church, serving in various callings. He enjoyed Scounting and volunteered in many Scouting positions. Besides family, fishing (both stream and deepwater), rock collecting, and computers were also his loves.

Paul is survived by his wife Marolynn, children Carrie (Kurt), Jonathan, Michael (Jennifer) and three grandchildren; brother John Robert (Shirley) of Sacramento, California and sister Marian Holly (Stephen) of Provo, Utah.

Services will be held January 5, 2011.

Cruise to the Caribbean
We were booked for this cruise with all of Marolynn's sisters and their husbands for several months, so despite my illness in October, with the ok of my doctor, we went. We sailed to the eastern Caribbean on the Celebrity Solstice shown in the background in the photo at San Juan, Puerto Rico The ship and its services proved to be top-notch.

We continued from San Juan to St. Thomas and finally St. Maartin which I enjoyed the most with its beautiful beaches and good shopping.

The last two days of the cruise were sea days as we steamed back to Fort Lauderdale, skirting a hurricane and running into very choppy seas and lots of wind.

After the cruise we flew back to Salt Lake to cold and snow, and dropped by Huntsman on the way home. They grabbed me for a couple more hours of tests and x-rays so it was dark before we we made a thankful entrance to our home.

A very scary Halloween Month
















I've been quite ill almost continuously since our Alaskan cruise. This culminated at the beginning of the month with a diagnosis of cancer of the kind that brought my mother down in just five months, 35 years ago after she was first diagnosed. For almost a week I didn't know how long I had to live, until I had my first appointment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. As it went, I had contracted a very severe bacteriological infection, and my doctor at Huntsman took the strategy that it was this rather than cancer that was responsible for all my symptoms, which if taken at face value would result in a cancer diagnoses. After a number of blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy, I was cleared healthwise from having cancer. Now, all I have to do is to get through all the other tests they want to do to check out any ailment. This seems to just go on and on. We're gone on vacation and will be back in a while.

Utah Gets its Snow Again
We awakened this morning to the last in a series of winter storms that started on Monday, each leaving snow a little lower on the mountains. This one reached the valleys, dropping 4 inches of snow at the house. Now, if I just had a beach cottage in Australia until next April.

The Red Tree out Front

The City of American Fork was kind enough to plant this beautiful red tree just across the street from us. I suspect that it is some kind of a maple. As Fall has continued with morning temperatures in the 30s, the tree quite suddenly turned bright red, so we thought it nice to get pictures of Marolynn and I beside the tree.
It's still quite dry with afternoon temperatures in the 70s, and we're still picking tomatoes.

The Last Aspen

We spent a delightful day with my brother Bob and Shirley who are spending the week at a resort in Park City. They drove us up to the top of Empire Pass into snow country and into this pretty area where up above winter is making its first appearance.
Bob and Shirley are doing very well and are planning another long trip in January

Fall Colors are on their Way

We took a trip up the lower portion of American Fork Canyon this morning and discovered that the Fall colors were underway. We've had lots of warm, dry weather, but the canyons have been cool, almost cold.

The colors should peak in about 2 weeks and if it stays warm, the aspen which are starting to turn in the high country should make for one of those rare years where the aspen are beautiful up high should complement the georgeous reds of the maples and other red foliage in the lower part of the canyon.