Update on Briana

08/18/10 1:45 p.m.

The vampire took 15 vials of blood for Bri’s blood work this morning.  Then the dr. performed an EKG to check her heart function.  Mom says Bri will receive results of the blood work and the EKG next week.

This afternoon is a time of relaxation for Bri, the kids and Mom.  They’re at the movie theater watching “Karate Kid.”

Bri’s coping very well . . . taking everything day by day, with faith and absolute confidence in the prayers and blessings offered on her behalf.

Dad

     Faith makes things possible . . . not easy.

     "It's journal material, Elder . . . journal material."

                      (Roy Boulter's frequent comment when life became difficult.)

Update on Briana

08/17/10 p.m.


Well, Bri is quite the “social butterfly” as Nate would say, meeting all kinds of new people. The neurologist performed scans and evaluation of the carotid arteries in her neck. They were clear.

Tomorrow she’ll let the hematologist (vampire type-person) draw numerous vials of blood. After that it’s off to an EKG to check circulation in her heart.

Next week she’ll begin speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. She’ll return to the neurologist next Wed., Aug. 25

Thus far the cause of the stroke is unknown. As the oncologist and Karen McCoy (our RN friend who worked in cancer wards for years) both said, Bri’s system is so full of toxins from chemotherapy, anything could have caused a reaction, precipitating the stroke. Nevertheless, they absolutely assert her condition is fully reversible with time and therapy.

Tonight, Bri’s already begun exercising her left arm – lifting the remote control over her head, and her left leg – lifting it up and over the footstool.

The miracle continues! She will have a full restoration of health.


Dad


Where there is hope, there is faith . . . Where there is faith, miracles can happen.
1 Tim. 1: 1
. . . Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Perspective on life's challenges. . . Smile

"I'm trying to look pretty because God keeps taking my picture."

May God bless you today and every day as you face the storms that come your way!

A Child's View of Thunderstorms

Update on Briana

08/15/10

Bri had a wonderful experience at Girl’s Camp. She said it was the best Girl’s Camp she’s ever attended . . . no back-biting, no cliques, no rumors . . . all the girls were very supportive of each other.

During the week she began experiencing slurred speech and impairment of sensation on her left side. Her bishop administered to her at Girl’s Camp, blessing her with a continuation of all promises made in previous administrations and blessings. After the blessing he reassured her that her healing would be complete. She felt, and still feels, very much at peace.

She called her dr. and was told not to be concerned. What? Yeah, I know . . . anyone would be concerned with such symptoms. Her dr. explained she was experiencing swelling of the brain – which is normal after radiation treatment. The body is removing residual tissue left behind after the pin-point radiation treatments killed the tumors. Her symptoms are very common. The dr. will probably put her back on steroids to reduce and control the inflammation and swelling of the brain and the symptoms will disappear. He’ll take care of it tomorrow as she goes in for her “last” chemo treatment.

Tomorrow, Mom will drive Eric to the Burbank airport at 8:00 a.m. He’ll begin his first week of training in North Carolina. Mom will return to the house and drive Bri to the treatment center for her chemotherapy. Cassie Raymond will watch the kids until Bri and Mom return home in the early afternoon.

Of course, we keep Bri, Eric and the kids in our prayers. We trust in the Lord, the power of faith – doubting nothing, and revelation as declared in priesthood blessings and in our hearts that confirms her ultimate healing. She will be healed! The miracle continues!

I love you all,
Dad

Having someone to love is family,
Having somewhere to go is home,
Having both is a blessing.
"Faith in God requires faith in His timing."
Neal A. Maxwell

Family Update

07/31/10 p.m.


Bri is doing very well.

A recap of recent events:

· Bri was released from a Church calling that she dearly loved in mid-May . . . Young Women’s President.

· The week before Father’s Day, Eric lost his job. Faith, prayers, fasting, friends and networking immediately resulted in several job offers.

As you may know, Eric is as close to being a professional cyclist as one can be without doing it full-time. A year ago, Eric and Bri planned and paid for a trip to France. Arriving after the conclusion of the Tour de France, Eric planned to ride some of the Tour de France course. His passion is riding mountains. He looked forward to riding in the Alps.

· Bri would undergo one last chemotherapy treatment on Mon., Jul. 12. Eric was scheduled to fly to France on Tues., Jul. 13, returning Tues., Jul. 27.

Knowing the situation with Eric’s employment, Bri’s chemotherapy dr. observed that she tolerated chemo better than 98% of all patients. He suggested that she consent to two more treatments (Mon., Jul. 26 and Mon., Aug. 16) . . . just to be sure she was clean. That meant she couldn’t accompany Eric to France.

· Teri drove to Simi Valley on Sun., Jul. 11 to help during the time Eric was gone.

· Bri had a chemo treatment this past Mon., Jul. 26. She had a couple of down days this past week, but has since bounced back and is doing well.

· Prior to Eric’s trip to France, he was informed of a job opportunity in Sacramento. Arrangements were made for him to fly to North Carolina on Thurs., Jul. 29 -- the day after his return to the States.

· Eric’s job interview on Fri., Jul. 30 was successful. He will begin his new job on Mon., Aug. 2.

· Bri and Eric will drive to Sacramento on Mon. While he is oriented in his new job, Bri will look for a home to rent. Teri will stay with the children in Simi Valley. Tiffany & Devin will travel from Mesa, AZ with their children to Simi Valley on Mon., Aug. 2 so the little cousins can spend time together. Bri and Eric plan to return to Simi Valley late next week. Hopefully, they’ll have a couple of days to visit with Tiff & Devin before the Wilcocks return to AZ for the start of the new school year. First day of school in Mesa will be Wed., Aug. 11.

· Although plans are subject to change Eric could be on the job in CA for a week and then in NC in training for a week. This sequence could repeat itself several times.

· Teri will stay in CA to help Bri and the kids.

· Even though Bri was released as the young Women’s President in May, she’s been invited to participate with the Young Women at Girl’s Camp the week of Aug. 9-14. We and she are so pleased with the opportunity to participate the girl’s she’s grown to love. Teri will be in Simi Valley with the kids.

· Upon conclusion of the chemo treatment on Aug. 16, I imagine the dr. will order another MRI and CAT scan to confirm no evidence of cancer. Bri doesn’t plan to move to Sacramento until the dr.s confirm that she’s cancer-free. It appears her children may begin school in Simi Valley and then relocate to Sacramento very early in the school year.

· I don’t plan on Teri’s return to Phoenix until after Labor Day, and even then, if she can be of assistance to Bri & Eric, she’ll be there for them.

Well that’s it. What I thought would be a short little update turned out to be lengthier than I anticipated.

In short, we’ve witnessed a continuation of great blessings over the past couple of months. Because of love, faith and priesthood blessings, Bri’s miraculous healing continues. In a time when so many men and women are unable to find work, Eric has been blessed with new employment. A new adventure lies before them at this time. Your continued remembrance of Bri, Eric and the children in your thoughts, prayers, fasting and temple worship are needed and appreciated.

We love you!

Rick

Home is where your story begins.

Family . . .
forever . . .
for always . . .
no matter what.

Watch Your Thoughts

Have you ever found yourself thinking of something and then within a few days . . . bingo! . . . it’s there?  Over the past few days I’ve thought about saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzis.  I didn’t order any of them . . . just thought about them.

1:35 this morning  . . . whamo! . . . I found myself in the middle of a 1,750 sq. ft. sauna.  What a surprise!  What an amazing feeling.  No need to sleep under covers or a sheet.  I just basked in the movement of hot, moist air that was circulated by an overhead fan.  It was 81̊ outside and already 94̊ inside my sauna.  I’ve been trying to turn off the heat since early this morning.  No luck.  I finally broke down and called an A/C technician.  I hope he’ll be here before noon.

Moral of this true life story: Watch your thoughts.

Dad

The Beginning of Their Love Story...

A Father’s Thoughts to his Daughter... April

Fri., July 23, 2010

(35 years ago)

Early this morning I spent time in the Mesa Temple reflecting on all of you and events that occurred 35 years ago.

July 23, 1975, 4:00 a.m., I left Lackland Air Force Base after completing 6 weeks of Basic Training and 2 weeks in Casual Status – hanging around Lackland until the government made arrangements to get me to Lowry AFB in Aurora, CO (suburb east of Denver).  My time in Casual Status consisted of scrubbing lots of toilets and floors and sitting around.

On this day, 35 yrs. ago, Mom scurried around the Denver airport as my arrival gate was changed a couple of times.  She was 8 months pregnant with April.  When I landed, I only got to see her for a few minutes.  It was an emotional reunion.  I was thrilled to see her again.  Then I was ordered to get on a government bus and I was taken to in-process at Lowry.  Mom picked me up about 5:00 p.m. and we went to Grandpa and Grandma Juber’s home for supper.

After supper, Mom was helping clear the table and cleaning dishes when the small of her back began to ache.  Once we arrived at our home – a trailer in the trailer park just east of Grandpa and Grandma’s place, Mom’s lower back pains continued.  Little did we know it was the beginning of a long and sleepless night.

Mom had visited with her OB dr. a few days prior to my return from Basic Training.  She had enrolled us in Lamaze classes.  She had a stack of childbirth manuals at the house.  By 10:30 p.m. she was soaking in the tub, trying to relieve her back pain and I was reading one of her manuals, reviewing the signs of labor.  By midnight, very much against Mom’s will, we were on our way to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center.

It was quite a homecoming 35 years ago, today . . . culminating April’s birth the next day -- July 24, 1975.  Yes, Mom felt like a pioneer that day.

FYI – The military charged us $11 for April’s birth.  Later, I questioned why the military charged us $13 for Nate.  I felt it was discriminatory and an excessive charge -- things appear that way when your gross pay is less than $600/month.  The nurse summed up the difference in one word . . . circumcision.  Oh!  Ouch!  Oh!

After April’s birth, on my way home from the hospital, I stopped at the Post Exchange (PX) to buy a high-chair for our little girl.  When I returned to the hospital later that day, I was excited to tell Mom of my thoughtful purchase.  She laughed and informed me that it would be several months before April would be able to use it.  Oh well, if she had developed any quicker, we were prepared.

We’re blessed to have Mom and April in our lives.

I love you,

Dad

     Family . . . all because two people fell in love.

     A mother holds her children’s hands for a moment . . .

                                                                     she holds their hearts for a lifetime.

A Father's Thoughts to All His Children

Sun., July 4, 2010
(30 years)


30 years ago, Apr. 25, 1980, I was driving Mom, April (almost 5 yrs old), Nate (almost 4 yrs old), Tiffany (2 yrs old) and Briana (10 months old) to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa so you could all return to the United States and have some time to get acquainted and visit with Grandpa & Grandma Juber in the Seattle, WA area. Since Tiff and Bri were born on Okinawa during our 3-yr. Air Force tour of duty--family in the States had never seen them. April turned 2 the week we left the States for Okinawa and Nate celebrated his 1st birthday on Okinawa.

As we drove to the base, except for the Armed Forces Radio Network news broadcasting through the radio, the car was very quiet and the atmosphere was very somber. Suddenly, a news alert . . . the radio announcer said Pres. Jimmy Carter had launched an invasion into Iran to free hostages the Iranians had taken at the U.S. Embassy. The invasion and attempted hostage rescue failed miserably. U.S. helicopters crashed and military personnel were killed. The radio announcer went on to say that military dependents would be allowed to leave the island of Okinawa, but military personnel with permanent change of station (PCS) orders were immediately frozen on Okinawa until further notice. The entire island went into high alert.

After a very emotional good-bye, Mom took the 4 of you on a Flying Tiger aircraft the military had leased for the trip to the States. The cargo plane had been reconfigured to accommodate passengers. Mom was issued a Dole pineapple box that was to be used as Bri’s bed during the 16-hr. flight from Kadena to Travis Air Force Base, CA (near San Francisco). Mom was amazing as she single-handedly cared for all of you in a trip half-way around the world to California. She then overcame serious challenges getting you from Travis AFB to the San Francisco civilian airport for your trip to Seattle.

Mount St. Helens volcano (Washington) erupted, causing massive devastation and ash fall-out just before you all arrived in Seattle. After Mom got you all settled in Seattle, she went to Portland, OR to pick up a lovely new 1980 Plymouth Volare, mocha brown, station wagon that we had ordered through the Base Exchange (BX) on Okinawa. From the time she got the car until we were all reunited in Provo, the engine compartment was filled with volcanic ash from the eruption.

After spending several weeks in Seattle, Mom drove you to Provo, UT to get acquainted and spend time with Grandpa and Grandma Boulter until my return.

Now to the heart of this story . . .

It was 30 yrs. ago today (July 4, 1980) that I had celebrated my last 4th of July, by myself, on Okinawa. You see, being in Japan, I was one-day ahead of you here, in the States. I remember sitting alone the night of the 4th of July, in the midst of hundreds of military men and women and their families on a football field at Camp Butler (the Marine Corps base where we lived), watching the fireworks display, anxiously waiting for time to pass so I could get on a plane and return to the States.

In the early morning hours of July 5, 1980 (Okinawa time), I flew out of Kadena AB enroute to San Francisco. During my long flight home, you were celebrating the 4th of July with Grandpa & Grandma Boulter at their home in Provo. I remember Mom telling me how all of you and Grandpa & Grandma climbed on their roof to watch the fireworks show that originated at BYU.

Earlier this week as I spoke with Grandma Boulter, she fondly remembered that 4th of July on the roof with all of you. She laughed and excitedly recounted her memories of that night 30 years ago. She giggled, remembering how she and Grandpa were able to climb the ladder to get onto the roof that night.

My, how time flies when you’re having fun . . .
Faithful mother caring for 4 little ones under the age of 6 as they traveled half-way around the world.
Baby Bri, issued a Dole pineapple box for her bed.
Half a mountain blown away in a volcanic eruption (Mount St. Helens).
New car with an engine compartment full of volcanic ash.
4th of July, alone in Okinawa.
4th of July in Provo, atop Grandpa & Grandma’s roof.
Aug. 3, 1981 (13 months later) . . . Serena, our first civilian baby, serenely brought more of heaven into our home.
Mar. 24, 1983 . . . Heather arrived to bless our family on Grandma Emma Boulter’s birthday.
Family moves from Okinawa to Las Vegas to Orem to Mesa to Gilbert.
Bolt, Coqui and Kadena.
Grade school, Jr. High, High School.
School reports, dates, volleyball, chorus, graduations (or as Leyna says, “getting kicked out” of school).
More dates . . . then spouses . . . then special little ones from the pre-existence.
Challenges in which our family and individual faith and testimony have been tested, refined and further developed.

30 years of life, challenges, growth and miracles
Yes, each of you is counted a divine, precious miracle to Mom and me.

Where much is given, much is required.
It’s not over yet.

May we all be united in love, faith and testimony, counted worthy to receive, witness and testify of miracles yet to come into our lives.

I love you,
Dad


When I count my blessings . . .
I count you twice.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.

Update on Briana

06/29/10 p.m.

Today we found that Bri had not only an MRI to check her torso, but she also had a CAT scan to check her brain, yesterday (Mon., Jun. 28).

Bri met with her neurologist today. He gave her a clean bill of health! Of the 13 tumors that were on the brain just a few months ago, he could only see slight residual evidence of 2, and he found that residual evidence only because he knew exactly where to look. He emphasized that he was “amazed,” that her case was a “miracle.” He agreed with the oncologist saying there was no evidence based on scans and tests to indicate that last Fri. night’s episode was anything other than an anomaly, probably triggered by a migraine headache.

The miracle continues!

Your faith, prayers, fasting and temple worship are deeply appreciated.

Rick

If God brings you to it . . .
He will bring you through it.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.

Update on Briana

06/28/10 p.m.

Bri is doing very well today. Since the incident, she’s had no lingering effects or sensations from last Fri. night’s episode.

She tolerated today’s chemo treatment without more than an upset stomach.

Her oncologist reviewed the MRI that was performed today and found nothing abnormal. Her neurosurgeon wasn’t able to visit with her today, but will see her tomorrow morning to give his opinion of the MRI in the context of last Fri. night’s episode.

Last Sat., when Bri told us about her Fri. night episode, she failed to mention a key bi of information. Fri. evening, she and Eric had gone to dinner and while they were out she experienced a headache that caused her to see a bright flash of light.

During today’s visit she told the oncologist about the headache. He told her the bright flash of light and sensations she felt after returning home last Fri. night and resting for a little while were more likely indicative of a migraine induced episode, and probably not associated with any type of TIA or mini-stroke (blood clot or hemorrhage induced). Yes, Bri, Eric, and all of us breathed easier when we heard that.

Because Bri spoke with the neurosurgeon last Fri. night during the episode and at that time he suspected the event might have been an anomaly, we anticipate that tomorrow he’ll probably confirm the oncologist’s findings and determination.

Teri and I look forward to spending time in the Mesa Temple early tomorrow morning. It’s where we go to be close to the Lord, Bri and all of you. It’s a nice way to start the day.

One last positive note . . . this afternoon Bri told us her hair is growing. Yippee!

Keep the faith! The miracle continues.

Rick

Faith is not believing that God can . . .
it's knowing that He will.