After waiting 2 long years, Bob is finally went into the hospital today for his Stem Cell Transplant. He will be there for about a month before he will be able to come home. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you to our family, friends and our employers. You have all been so wonderful, understanding and kind.

Bob has been continuing with chemo therapy with different types being tried to get him to remission and on to the stem cell transplant. Bob’s patience and positive attitude are amazing through this long drawn out process. Two weeks ago Bob’s doctors finally did a surgical procedure to help them further identify the cancer type and why the original tumor was not responding to chemo. The doctors discovered that Bob’s tumor is a low grade follicular lymphoma which is a slow growing cancer. The doctors think that the cancer started this way and evolved into a fast growing Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. (Fast growing lymphomas respond to chemo quite well but slow growing lymphomas cells can “hide” from the chemo and are less responsive to it.) The good news is that the doctors now know what they are dealing with and feel that they can move forward with the stem cell transplant. Bob is currently undergoing a lot of tests to make sure his body is capable of handling the transplant and he is receiving radiation injections to eradicate any leftover cancer before he goes to the hospital. He will be admitted to the hospital (The old LDS Hospital) Wednesday, November 24th and will be there for approximately one month. Bob will receive more chemo that will completely deplete his immune system before they transfuse the healthy stem cells back in his body. Visitation will be limited for the first week or 10 days. We will keep you posted when visitation will be allowed. Bob’s immune system will be practically non existent . No visitations from children and please avoid visitation if you are ill in any way. Bob will be extremely susceptible to illness and we ask for everyone’s cooperation in helping him through this. No flowers or balloons are allowed. Funny cards with encouraging messages will be greatly appreciated. When Bob returns home he will need to be in as sanitary an environment as possible which means Tammy and her family will be cleaning the house top to bottom with Lysol and Clorox to prepare for Bob to recuperate at home. Bob will be recuping at home for 4-6 weeks. We’ll send more updates as more information becomes available. Thanks to everyone for your love and prayers. Bob, you continue to inspire and amaze all of us and we will continue to pray for your speedy recovery.

Leigh Ann Turner, RN, sister-in -law