Celebration of Life - Sat June 18 in Pemberton

Friday, June 17, 2011
From Tuula:

Please pass along the news and invite those you know, who knew Marty.

Let's Celebrate ALL that is Marty to ALL of us!!

To me...... These were some of the last words i typed to him..... I am
sure some of you shared these sentiments.....

"You are so AWESOME!! You have earned all the love and energy being
sent your way just by being such a positive, supportive, encouraging,
and solid friend!! Manifesting, believing, being inspired, taking
risks, exploring creativity, pushing limits, going beyond, exploring
mother nature, seeking wisdom, dancing your heart out, trusting your
intuition, being curious about human nature.... These are just a few
of your exceptional characteristics.

With this in mind... Let's Celebrate Life! As Marty would have loved it to be!!

The Celebration of Life will begin at 2pm on Saturday across the
street from Marty's house where his parents Anne and Don have been
staying. This will be an Open House and EVERYONE is welcome to drop
by. There will be a slide show and time to gather to share stories
with one another, with family and friends.

1366 Greenwood st
Pemberton BC

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&xhr=t&q=greenwood+ave+pemberton&cp=23&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1629&bih=934&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

There will be an after gathering at Oni's property on Ivey Lake up
Reid Rd for those who would like to extend the celebration of Marty's
life through music and dance. There will be rustic lake side camping
available with access to an outhouse for those who wish to spend the
night. Everyone is welcome to join in on this extended celebration
and to feel free to extend the invitation to anyone who would wish to
share in remembering Marty together and celebrating his legacy as we
shall remember him.

1712 Reid Rd
D'Arcy

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=1366+Greenwood+Street,+Pemberton,+British+Columbia&daddr=Reid+Rd&geocode=FQni_wIdSQ-u-CnHrO4imDWHVDGi7JMEv_4Nxg%3BFeQmAAMdj9Wu-A&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=50.32833,-122.764125&sspn=0.043725,0.107117&ie=UTF8&z=14

This gathering will be a first among many to come! Lets celebrate
MARTY'S LIFE through DANCE and MUSIC the way he would want to be
celebrated!

Tuula

Journey' End

Thursday, June 16, 2011
Martin has come to the end of his journey. He lost his courageous fight to cancer on June 15th. Thankfully, he went quickly in the last three days. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. We wish to thank the many people at helping hands who supported Martin through his illness. To Carolyn, Amy, and Oni who stayed with Martin until the end we owe you a special debt of gratitude by helping Martin through this journey and supporting us though this heartbreaking time. We have come to know you well and love you as Martin did.

In loving memory of our Son
Anne and Don Holloway

On Martin`s journey he spent a week with the Callanish Society ... a group that support people with cancer. This experience changed Martin it opened his heart and his mind.

Martin requests that if you make any donations please donate to:

The Callanish Society
on line at callanish.org. Donations.aspx

Callanish Society
2277 10th Ave. W.
Vancouver, BC V6K 2J1
604-732-0633

The Nature Trust of BC
on line or
260-1000 Roosevelt Cres
North Vancouver, BC V7P 3R4
(604) 924-9771

from Amy

Sunday, June 12, 2011
Things here in Pemberton are intense, but in a calm way. The doctor was here yesterday, and although I wasn't here at the time, she said that it is not a matter of months, but rather weeks, or possibly less. Everyone was upset by this diagnosis. Marty and I were talking later in the evening and he expressed that he was envious that I have plans and hopes for the future and that he probably only has a few weeks left of hopes.  It was a sad moment.  I am trying to be present with Marty when I am with him, and it is difficult and complicated.  Sometimes when I think he is talking non-sensibly, I humor him a bit and ask questions in order to fall his thought process, and sometimes I discover that he is speaking metaphorically about life and his experience, like he is trying to tell me something from far away.

Marty is now on oxygen most of the time, and is blood oxygen saturation level drops low when he is not on it. He is only awake occasionally, and even then, he usually keeps his eyes closed. He talks but is only sometimes coherent, and he is easily confused and disoriented when he awakens.
He does not seem to be in any pain, and he has not had any coughing fits since we started the oxygen yesterday. Until a few days ago he was eating a lot, but now he is only eating a little. Though he is still eating lots of strawberries.

Marty is still sometimes uncomfortable with the fact that he needs a lot of help.  And he is not comfortable with the idea that he is putting other people out.  I know he would rather do the helping and the giving, but we are happy to be able to help him and make his time pleasant and comfortable. 

Changing conditions

The month of May was Good! It's the best we have seen Martin since we came the beginning of March to spend time with him. We planted the garden and Martin has enjoyed going down to do some of the watering and to see it beginning to sprout. We visited the landing zone for the paragliders where Martin was able to visit with a lot of his flying buddies. We made a couple of visits to Vancouver for some appointments. We have had lots of visits from friends and family, and a few dinners out. We are all so fortunate to have had this time to spend together.

This past week we have seen some changes in Martin. Pain continues to be a challenge, we are always monitoring and adjusting. There has been some more coughing, and more difficulty breathing so we now have an oxygen concentrator to make it a little easier. The palliative nurse tells us to watch for signs of seizures. The family doctor came for a visit on Saturday and had a long talk with us all. She told us that Martin may have weeks and perhaps only days but certainly not months! It was a very emotional day for us all. As parents it is so devastating to watch and we could not cope without help from Carolyn and Amy! Two very exceptional young ladies who provide Martin with so much love and support. We are eternally greatful for their help!
Anne (MOM)

Thinking positively

Thursday, May 26, 2011
This past week has been a good one for Martin. He is eating well and his voice has come back stronger since the radiation of his throat and chest. We are waiting to see what effects there will be from the radiation of his brain. So far he has not lost any hair as was expected but it is just over a week since then. What we have noticed is that Martin seems to have more energy and is doing more on his own. He still gets tired and has the odd pain break throughs but mostly in the early morning and they are dealt with quickly with his pain meds. His spirits are up especially when his friend Carolyn comes to visit. We are so thankful for each day!

good days

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Martin came home this past Weds May 18th from Vancouver, where he received 5 radiation treatments to his head and eyes over the previous week. He appears to have tolerated these treatments well so far. The trip home went fine and he was free of pain during the car ride.

The next day (Thursday) was a beautiful, sunny day. His parents suggested he rest from the journey but Marty was keen to get in the garden and feeling good after getting over some pain in the morning. We went to his community garden plot in the afternoon and did several hours of work there. We planted pretty much the whole thing so now it's just watering and waiting for the magic to happen. It was a great day for Marty in terms of energy and mobility. He felt comfortable later that night so he didn't seem to have overdone it.

The day after that, we took a trip to his friends Rob and Erin's place which is about a half-hour drive away. It was another hot sunny day. Rob was in his bee suit as they just got bees. We had a walking tour of their property, on trails they had made, and Marty was able to do the whole thing, which was about a half hour of gentle walking with lots of stops to look at things and rest. He had some pain in the night and next morning so may have overdone it a bit, but felt it was worth it as well. Right now it is about finding a balance between rest and activities, enjoying what he is able to do, and having some fun.

Certain things have improved from the last radiation treatment to his shoulder, in that he is breathing more comfortably now, coughing a lot less, and having no pain in that area. He has gotten used to his pain medications so they no longer sedate him so much. He is still having frequent pain in his hips/legs/lower back, which often disrupts his sleep. His vision in his left eye is still compromised by dark areas in his field of vision and some distortion. But on the whole he has reached a plateau at the moment it seems where he's doing and feeling relatively well. Because this could change at any time, we appreciate it all the more and focus on the beauty of the present moment.

Carolyn

New developments

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Martin continues to be challanged with pain! The radiation of Martin's chest and neck was a success as he no longer has pain in this area .. it has also helped with his breathing and coughing. The new challenge has been pain in his sacral and hip area. This has kept him up many nights recently. On May 11th we travelled to Vancouver for Martin's check up with the oncologist. We were informed the cancer drug Afinitor is not working. The next cancer drug to try will be Nexovar. We also met with Dr Sugar who is a palliative care doctor Martin has been seeing at the Loins gate hospital (extremely nice guy) to review medications. Several of the medications have been increased which is helping to control the pain. Martin has recently been having a problem with his left eye, so we had arranged for an appointment with a specialist the same day. After examination it was discovered that there are some masses in both of Martin's eyes and we were sent back to the oncologist who suggested Martin have some ratiation on these , and sent us for a scan. So all in all it was not a good day. We went home very tired, and emotionally drained.

The next day we got a call from the radiation oncologist Dr Sing ( Martin says she is the Julia Child of radiation oncology..... asian with an english accent, and a really nice lady) to arrange an appointment for the next day (friday 13th) to review the scan and to have the first of five radiation treatments. Martin`s cancer is unusual in that it has spread through the lymphatic system which has affected the lining of the brain and also the tissue behind the eyes. Therefore the whole brain has to be radiated. Her expectation is that the eyesight will not get any worse at best but may not improve, but if he did nothing he would eventually go blind. A special mask was made and he had his first treatment that day. It is truely amazing what they can do these days with all the specialized equipment! He had a second treatment Saturday morning (fortunately we had gone prepared to stay over) then returned to Pemberton. Martin will have three more treatments starting on Monday so we will be staying in Vancouver for those.

Martin also mentioned to Dr Sing about the pain in his hips and she sent him for an exray ..... she may also do some radiation there as well, at the same time, but it will only take one treatment.

The change in medications seems to be making Martin more comfortable but the radiation makes him very tired. We continue to go along day by day, thankful for the time we spend with Martin.

Anne Holloway (MOM)

Fine tuning for pain

Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Hi
Martin has had a few days of pain again. Lower back and sacril area radiating up the spine and into the neck. With the help of Dr. Sugar we have been adjusting some of Martins meds to make him more comfortable. Martin is also having a problem with his left eye. We are planning to have this checked out on May 11th our next visit with the oncologist in North Vancouver. Martin has an amazing resiliancy. He continues to remain positive, and quietly enjoys the things he can. He looks forward to planting his garden and seeing it grow.

He had a visit from his Uncle Dave and cousins Greg and Matt yesterday. Fortunately he was haveing a good day. Today we are expecting his brother Phil and grand daughter Ainsley.

Anne Holloway (MOM)

Sunday May 1

Sunday, May 1, 2011
Things were better today. Pain was okay and we went out on a walk/wheel around 1-mile Lake, watched paragliders drift through the sky and visited Marty and Oni's community garden plot. Martin was able to walk quite a bit which was great!! It was sunny and beautiful out. M's dad Don is planning to go turn over the garden bed in the next few days. Amy's staying over tonight and M's uncle Dave will arrive on May 3rd and his brother Phil and neice Ainsley will arrive for a week's visit on May 4th.

Sat. April 30

Saturday, April 30, 2011
The past few days have been rough for Marty. While it seems like the radiation has worked in that he no longer has pain in his right shoulder/arm, he's been having severe pain in his sacral area/groin/thighs which has been flaring up unpredictably and has required him to take a lot of pain medication especially in the last 24 hours. It was a rough night last night and he is trying to rest now. I spoke with his doctor this morning and we are doing what we can to make him more comfortable, in raising the dose of his long-acting pain medications. Hopefully that will get things under control again so Marty can get outside and enjoy some sun.

Reminder re: visiting Martin

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Hi, just a reminder to please make contact with either Martin, his parents or Oni before coming to visit. If you've left a message, please wait to hear back from them before coming.

Martin likes having visitors, but says he's feeling the need for scheduled visits only.

Also, please limit your visits to an hour or so and be prepared to just sit with him and not necessarily have a conversation as he's not always feeling up to it.

Thanks,

Carolyn

Monday April 25

Monday, April 25, 2011
Just a quick note before I head back to Vancouver.

Things seem to be going pretty well here so far. After spending nearly 3 weeks in the hospital, Marty is finding it's taking some time to transition back into life at home. The first couple nights were a bit rough with some unsettled dreams and up quite a bit. Last night M had a good sleep. Yesterday his energy level was higher than during his hospital stay and he is moving around his apartment quite a bit after spending most of his time in bed while in hospital.

What seems to be the most difficult right now is getting used to being on a lot of medications that make him drowsy, and how to schedule them to maximize his awake and alert time for meals and activities. It's a learning process and we're working it out day by day.

Last night we had Easter/Passover with Amy, Oni and Tuula. Matzo ball soup made by Amy and chicken stew made by Anne with a yummy dessert and chocolate eggs.

Today Amy and Tuula will spend the day with Marty.

We'd like to encourage everyone to use the Lotsa Helping Hands website ("Marty's Healing Team"). If you're not already signed up for it, please do. If you're planning to come visit, it has a calendar that you can mark which days you're planning to be here. However please communicate with Martin/his parents/Oni before showing up. Marty appreciates your visits!

I'll be back in Pemberton later this week.

Home sweet home.

Saturday, April 23, 2011
Martin is happy to be back home in Pemberton. We arrived yesterday afternoon. The ride back from North Van in Oni's truck went really well and M was able to doze in the back seat and did not have any pain. He was very happy to reunite with his own space and had a nap on the couch as soon as we arrived. It was also good to have a home-cooked meal again last night cooked by Anne.

The night was a bit rough unfortunately as Marty did not get much sleep. It seems being back home might take a bit of time to get used to again. M's throat is sore from the radiation treatments (now they are over! Phew.) and this may continue for another week or two. He had some unsettling dreams and did not feel rested. Hopefully tonight will be better as he gets used to being home again.

Francesca the home care nurse just visited and went over his medications and also said that home care support is available up to 3 hours a day should M's caregivers need a break. Good to know and keep in mind.

Since it is a beautiful day we are going to go sit out on the "beach" now as M's dad calls it, that is the driveway, and gaze at beautiful Mt. Currie and soak up some sun. Later today Tuula will come visit and tomorrow Amy and Oni will come.

All for now,

Carolyn

April 19 Tuesday

Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I am here at the hospital this evening visiting Marty.  Don and Anne (Marty's parents) are here, and so are Carolyn and Oni.   Marty had another radiation treatment today and is napping right now. He takes many naps throughout the day now. Today's treatment was #8, which means there are only two more to go. If he feels well enough, we are planning to relocate to Pemberton on Friday.  Hopefully the car ride will not make him too nauseous.

The radiation has been irritating Marty's throat a lot, so he has been having trouble eating solid foods.  He is doing his best to eat soups and drink smoothies and protein shakes, but he has lost a lot of weight.   The radiation has two main goals: There is a tumor putting pressure on a nerve which was causing him a lot of pain in his shoulder.  At this point, either the radiation or pain medicines have been effective at warding off that pain, which is a big improvement from when he first came to the hospital two weeks ago.  The other goal of the radiation is to decrease the size of a mass which is putting pressure on the superior vena cava, which is the main vein which drains the upper body. This radiation treatment is palliative only, and not able to be curative. 

In Pemberton, Marty's mom Anne will be looking after Marty most of the time.  The local palliative nurses are able to stop by once a day to check on him and to see how things are going.  Marty tries to listen to all his voice-mails, but is not able to call everyone back.  If you haven't heard back from Marty in a few days, you can try Oni (Marty's Pemberton and paragliding friend) at  604.698.6532.  Regarding visiting, it is hard for me to give clear direction.  Sometimes Marty is feeling well enough to have visitors, but other times he is not well enough for visitors.  Sometimes he seems too tired, but is able to perk up quite a bit when a friend stops by.  Other times a visitor will stop by and he will be sleeping the entire time.  I don't want to discourage anyone from visiting, but I want to reiterate that it is best to keep your visits to about an hour, and I cannot guarantee Marty will feel like visiting when you show up. 


It is Passover today and this whole week.  I am certain Marty's doesn't want any matzah, but I am going to make him some matzah ball soup, which I hope will soothe his throat a bit.

The lowdown on Visiting Marty

Thursday, April 14, 2011
Marty was moved from Palliative on the 7th floor to Pediatrics on the 3rd.  Kind of weird, but they assured us there are often adults in Pediatrics.  The move was based on hospital politics and really had nothing to do with Marty in particular.  Turns out Pediatrics isn't as nice as Palliative, but what can you do.

The word on visiting is : Marty says to call him on his cell and leave a message if you want to come visit. (He does not have caller ID.) When he feels well he will listen to his messages and call people back to arrange times to visit.

Although you may be tempted, please do not bring Marty any food right now.  His mom Anne is on top of the food thing, and he already has SO MUCH FOOD and there is nowhere to put it.  If you really really want to bring food, you can check in with Marty and maybe bring dinner (if you are visiting in the evening).  But  please don't bring dinner unless he says so. 

As his last radiation treatment is Thursday April 21, Marty will be in the hospital until Friday April 22nd at least.  And I suspect he will be there until after the long weekend, approx Tuesday April 26. Hospital life is drag, so do try to come visit if you can. 

-Amy

Not much to report. APRIL 14, 2011

I am here with Marty in the hospital today, after spending the night.  Yesterday he wasn't feeling well so he skipped his radiation appointment.  Today he will get radiation again and meet with the radiation oncologist to discuss things.  His pain medications seem to be working, though some of them still make him loopy.  His coughing is sometimes severe.  He is tired often, but not always.  I will try to post more after today's conversation with the doctors.

Comments to be enabled

Sunday, April 10, 2011
Hi,

It is Amy.  I am trying to enable the commenting option so that anyone can comment on a post and everyone can see it.  This is a test post.

-Amy

April 5, 2011and April 8, 2011, posts from email

Hi Everyone,
Marty has asked me to do some blogging for him (these have already been sent via email):

April 5, 2011
After two cycles of chemotherapy, Marty has stopped doing chemo as it was not really effective and was making him tired and weak.
He has been having a lot of pain in his shoulder and scapula, and so he was admitted at Lions Gate in North Vancouver in the Palliative Ward.
He is staying there for a few days until he [and the doctors and nurses] can arrive at an effective regimen of pain medicine, ie one that allows him to be pain free and also lets him still be alert and not loopy. He is trying many different drugs which act in many different ways, including muscle relaxers, drugs that target nerves, opiates, and other things. The palliative doctor is very kind and warm and feels confidant that a pain-free solution is achievable. Marty may get radiation treatment to target the tumor which is likely causing the severe shoulder and scapula pain. He may also begin an oral drug which acts similar to the previous Sutent drug which he took for all of 2010.
If you are local, Marty is accepting visitors throughout the day. Please keep visits to under an hour. Realize that when you show up, he may be alert and pain free, but he may also be sleeping, loopy from the pain medicine, or in pain. Sometimes Marty answers his calls and texts.
That is all I have got time for right now. Hopefully more info in the near future.

April 8 2011
Marty had his first radiation treatment today and will have 9 more over the next couple weeks. His parents Anne and Don were with him, and so was Carolyn. It was a long day for him as he went from Lion's Gate in North Vancouver to BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver for his treatment, and there was a lot of waiting and running around to do. It was a beautiful spring day and he got a little time outside in the sun. He is probably going to hold off on the oral cancer treatment pill during radiation, as recommended by the radiation oncologist, but he still has to discuss this change in treatment with his regular oncologist.

I saw Marty this evening for a few hours. We ate dinner in the nice kitchen area on the ward with a few other friends who had come to visit. I think the new regimen of various medications is working out, as Marty was not complaining about pain and was chatting about this and that. Though he says the pain does come and go, so it is not clear exactly what is going on.

Marty would like everyone to call him on his cell before coming to visit, and limit visits to about an hour. Sometimes Marty answers his phone and sometimes he doesn't. Do not take it personally, just try again later. (There is not internet in his room, so he has not been checking email for some time.)

Tomorrow - Friday - Marty and I are going out for dinner, so it is probably not a good time to come visit. The weekend is better as he won't have any radiatin treatments lined up. His brother Phil is arriving from Calgary on Saturday for a couple days.

Also, of there are people whose names you want to be on this list, send them to me and I will include them on future updates. Thanks everyone for your help and support. It is very appreciated, even if it is not always acknowledged.

-Amy
 

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