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Friday, October 21, 2016

Rick Wheadon Funeral Details

Viewing:
Thursday October 27, 2016 from 6-8pm
Anderson Mortuary (Lone Peak Chapel located on Timpanogos Highway)
6141 West 11000 North
Highland, UT 84003

Funeral:
Friday October 28, 2016
Viewing: 9:45-10:45am
Funeral Service at 11:00am
Alpine Stake Center
98 East Canyon Crest Road
Alpine, UT 84004

Burial at Alpine Cemetery
400 Grove Drive
Alpine, UT 84004

Luncheon to follow at Alpine Stake Center for family of Rick.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

October 19, 2016

Friends and Family,

Thank you for all of your love and support. We wanted to let you all know that this morning our wonderful Dad returned home to our loving Father in Heaven. We love him and we miss him dearly already. And we are so grateful for the knowledge that our family can be together forever.

There's one thing that Dad talked about before his passing that has stuck with me. "There are a lot of things that cancer can't take away from us--it can't take away our love, it can't take away our happiness" and to this quote I might add, "it cannot take away our strength." True to who he is, Dad was strong until the very end.

We will let you know the details for his funeral in the coming days.

Thank you again for all of your love, support, and prayers!

Love,
The Wheadon Family


Thursday, September 29, 2016

September 29, 2016

Hi, it's Maddie here.

I just thought I would give you all a quick update on my Dad tonight! Since the last update, Rick's doctors provided a new option for chemotherapy and he was treated last week. Treatment went well, and wasn't too hard on him.

This past weekend all of his brothers and sisters came into town to visit. It was so great to see all of them and I know it really meant a lot to my Dad! He always cherishes time he gets to spend with his family.

This morning as Dad was waking up, Mom noticed that he was a little out of it. His speech was slurring, and after calling Huntsman, Mom decided to call an ambulance. Once they got to the hospital they did some tests and scans, and found out that Dad had a stroke on each side of his brain, and two smaller strokes in the back. He was put on oxygen and remained stable throughout the day--even cracking a few jokes!

Mom spoke with Dad's doctor up at Huntsman today and they have decided to discontinue chemotherapy for the time being. Dr. Garrido's suggestion was to start Dad on hospice, and that is a decision our family felt good about. As a family, I know we are all thankful for Dr. Garrido and the wonderful doctor and friend he has been for our Dad. He is a huge blessing.

Tonight Dad is home. He is on oxygen and seems to be improving since this morning. Hospice came by this evening to inform him about their program.  To be completely open and honest with all of you, today was one of the hard days. Right now is a very tender time for our family, and I would ask that you please keep that in mind. We love you all. We appreciate your love and your prayers always. But this is a time when we need to be together as a family.

We sure do love our Dad. He is the strongest man we know. He is my hero and the greatest example in my life. He can do hard things--and he does every single day. He always remains strong, faithful, and never loses trust in the Lord and in His plan. He is truly an incredible man. I am so blessed to have him for my Dad.


To finish, I thought I would share this quote by Thomas S. Monson: "God will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storms you face." I know I have felt the truth of this quote in my life.

Thank you, as always, for your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

September 11, 2016

We were lucky to have our son, Jacob and his children last weekend on their way to California.  It was so fun to see them even though it was a short visit.





















Last Tuesday was chemotherapy day.  After completing the lab work, the Doctor determined that Rick’s white blood count was high enough to proceed with the treatment.  Rick had not been feeling well the last few weeks and he had a bad cough so the Dr. decided to take the new trial drug off the regimen that day because it sometimes contributes to a cough.  We were so happy to have Rick’s sister Keri, from Arizona, join us for the day.





















After we left Huntsman, Rick’s cough got more and more tight.  By the time we got home, he was really getting nauseated and feverish.  I called the after hours Doctor at Huntsman.  They said to watch him overnight.  Rick had a terrible night of chills, cough and fever.  On Wednesday morning the nurse called and said they wanted him to come up to the acute care area.  They gave Rick a contrast to drink and scheduled him for scans.  We ended up staying at the hospital for the next two days.  They gave him fluids for dehydration and medication to help with the nausea and fever. 
 





The scans showed some progression of disease, which has been quite discouraging for all of us.  The Doctors want to meet with us this next week to discuss and consider alternative chemotherapy options.  We are praying for clarity as we make some more important decisions.  Our brother in law, Mike was there to give Rick a Priesthood blessing and President Davis was able to give me a blessing also.  Those Priesthood blessings helped both of us very much.  While Rick was in the hospital, he had several visitors as shown in the pictures below.  (Sorry we missed getting pictures of a few of you)

We received a very touching gift from Marcia’s brother who is serving our country in the Middle East.  The gift included a flag that had been flown from the door of his crew’s helicopter on a mission.  There was a certificate from his crew, a photo of the flag being flown and a letter that we would like to include below:

He said,

 “I’ve been following the blog updates about Rick and his journey to recovery and I love all the support that’s there.  It’s human nature to have a strong will when we are working towards a greater goal, but when you’re backed by love and support of friends and family, hold on tight because that drive is something powerful.

I’ve had the pleasure of being around you folks only a couple of times, and was grateful for those moments.  You are a blessed family, so full of love and good humor, and I truly enjoyed our time together.  I look forward to the day that I can enjoy your company again…even if that means that I have to hang out with my sister too (kidding BOO!)

Rick, in all your photos, you have such a powerful smile, and I find it difficult not to smile back when reading the blog posts; it’s a good reminder to me to smile more.

During a combat tour in Army aviation, it’s tradition to fly flags.  Most people just carry the flags with them as they fly, but when you really want to go the distance, you’ll do what’s seen in the photo.  I’ve sent you folks a flag flown by my crew during one of our flights, along with a certificate of flight.  It’s my gift to you all for being an inspiration in love of family.  Sherri and the boys are doing well, and have the support of family close by, and I skype with the boys each weekend to tell them that I love them; during my time away, my team here is my family as well (even if we are a dysfunctional one at that) and we take care of one another just the same.  You are all in my thoughts.  Keep on smiling!”

You can imagine why we were choking back the tears as we read this.  We were so touched as we think about the sacrifices he and his crew are making for the freedoms we enjoy. 

We are so grateful for the love, support, and prayers from all of you!

A verse of scripture that has meant a lot to us this week says:
“And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”

                                                                                                Doctrine & Covenants 84:8


On a funny side note, I ran into this guy at Huntsman the other day.  Dr OZ and I’m not even kidding.  (Even the blue scrubs) I kept thinking he looked familiar and must be one of Rick’s doctors.  I smiled, but then after he passed, I realized who he was!

Monday, August 29, 2016

August 29, 2016

On August 22nd we went up to Huntsman for another chemotherapy treatment.  Rick’s mom was able to join us.  After completing the labs, the Dr. informed us that Rick’s white blood count was too low to do chemotherapy.  Ever since the last chemo treatment, Rick just hasn’t felt very well.  He couldn’t get on top of the nausea and the fatigue.  The Dr. was able to get him stronger medication to help stimulate his appetite and also help with the nausea.  Even though he wasn’t able to have chemotherapy, the Dr. ordered some fluids for him to receive that day.  I think he was quite dehydrated because he was struggling with eating and drinking.

During the week, Rick’s legs were hurting quite a bit.  It felt like he had a pulled muscle so they had us go and get an ultrasound.  While we were there, they said that Rick had some blood clots in his legs so he had to start giving himself shots of blood thinner.  Based on a few of these issues, we were kind of happy that Rick’s body could take a break from treatment and get stronger.  On the down side, we wait two more weeks to fight the cancer again. 
Even though Rick has been struggling, he finds a way to attend the important things that we have going on.  Our grand daughter Nina was baptized, we went to the Alpine Days parade with our kids, we have attended different Temples and had a dinner with my brother and sisters and their spouses.  Also Rick spoke in our Stake conference last Saturday night.  His topic was “Faith is a choice.”  He did a fantastic job!


Yesterday Alanah Muir from the Carollo office stopped by and showed Rick a plaque that was awarded to Carollo as California’s  top design firm for 2016.  Rick was excited to see the plaque because he’s been working almost exclusively in Southern California for the last several years.  I know Rick really misses seeing all his friends at Carollo Engineers. 

My sister Susan, sent me a quote last week.  She didn’t know who wrote it, but I sure liked the message.

“Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.”

We are hoping and praying that the treatments will be affective on the Cancer and that Rick won’t have too many side effects.  We are also praying that his white blood count will be high enough to continue with the treatments next week.  As always, we love you and appreciate the many prayers on our behalf.

Love,
Rick & Jana


Thursday, August 11, 2016

August 11, 2016

The first week of August, we had a visit from our cute Indiana grandchildren.  What a treat that was!  Rick had a few extra days before his next treatment so it was so fun to be with the Wheadon kids! 
Rick also had a chance to go fishing with James Baird who is a dear friend of his ever since they were young.  They had such a fun day together.  They also caught some nice fish!  Rick came home so happy but also tired.  (But believe me, it was all worth it.)
On August 5, Rick had another treatment up at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.  This is the third week of the new trial.  The first two treatments Rick received the new standard of care drugs to make sure he could handle those first.  This week he was given the trial drug also.  The new drug is an immunotherapy drug that unmasks the cancer cells so that the body’s immune system will attack them.   It is always a little scary to see how his body will handle it.
While we were up at Huntsman, Rick was able to go to acupuncture.  He has been going to Annie for several weeks and it seems to help him sleep better and eat better.  We are hoping it is helping with the nausea too.  He even falls asleep while he has needles all over him.  It is very interesting.  While he had that appointment, I was able to get a massage.  Huntsman provides these services for the patients and their families.  
The following morning Rick had a fever so we called the doctors at Huntsman.  They said to keep them posted if the fever went higher.  I called the doctor again a few hours later when his fever was 103.  At that point they had us drive up to the emergency room.  Rick also had a cough that was tight in his chest.  They ran a chest x-ray and several blood tests to look for infection.  We stayed all day in the ER and finally at 11:00pm they admitted him up at Huntsman.  They gave him a lot of fluids and continued to monitor his fever and the fever broke at about 2:00am.  I slept at the hospital that night and then the next day they felt comfortable about sending him home.  They didn’t see any signs of infection but they ran more cultures to make sure.  The doctors wonder if Rick may have had a reaction to the drug.

Since we have been home, Rick has improved each day.  The side affects are pretty tough but of course Rick never complains.  Eating is the most difficult part.  Usually after about five days, he can eat a little better.  He is also feeling some neuropathy in his hands and feet.  He especially feels it when he drinks or holds something cold in his hands. 
  
I am so proud of him for his great strength and his positive attitude.  I am amazed at him everyday!  We feel so blessed to be able to spend so much quality time with each other.  Nothing else really matters to us at this time.   We continue to have faith and hope that he will be cured, but we also realize that God and our Savior are in charge.  Rick always reminds me to have faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ and not in the outcome.  He always says, “Jana, the plan is already in place.  We just need to have faith in the plan, whatever that is.”  This is just another reason we are trying to be strong like him!

Thank you so much for your continued love and prayers!

Love,
Rick & Jana

Sunday, July 24, 2016

July 24, 2016

 On July 5th, Rick began the new chemotherapy trial.  We were nervous and excited to get going on it.  The infusion takes about four hours and then Rick wears a fanny pack home that continues to pump another chemotherapy drug into his system for forty-eight hours.  One of the side effects of the chemo is that Rick is sensitive to cold.  When he touches anything cold or drinks anything cold, it feels like little needles shocking him.  The morning after his treatment, he walked on the tile floor and it felt like he was walking on ice.  The nausea started to get a little more difficult during that first week and also the fatigue really hit.  The Doctors remind us that it is normal for him to feel exhausted because it is like his body is running a marathon.  Even when he feels lousy, he still has such a positive attitude!


The following week, Rick didn’t have to go to Huntsman because he only has chemo every other week.  It is so helpful to have that second week so that he can repair and rest his body.  We met all of our children down in St. George for a vacation.  It was so wonderful to be with our children for a week.  We were excited that our son and his family could come also.  All the cousins played so cute together.  Even Tanner was able to slip down and surprise us for one day.  We celebrated Rick’s birthday while we were down there.  The grandkids were so excited to be with Grandpa on his birthday.  One of the most special things for us is when we hear our children and grandchildren pray for Rick.  We are so lucky to have him for our dad and grandpa.  He is such an example of strength and courage.  We went to the St. George Temple, we swam a lot with our kids and grandkids, went to the children’s museum, the splash pad, played games and sat in the hot tub and talked at night.  On Rick’s birthday, we attended the play Tarzan at the Tuacahn outdoor theater.  The kids loved it.  It is such a beautiful backdrop with the red rocks behind the stage.  Some days the girls went shopping and the guys played golf.  Here is one of Rick’s amazing shots.  It was almost a hole in one.  You can see the divet where his ball hit and almost rolled into the hole.  The boys also went shotgun shooting one morning.  Rick was so thankful that his port was on his left side so that he could shoot his gun.


We were so happy to be together.  At times we were laughing and at times we were crying.  We have all been through a lot these past few months.  We all have been sad and mad and scared at times, but we have learned to have faith and hope and trust.   We have been on a spiritual journey that we never would have experienced any other way.  Our family has grown so close and learned how to support and be there for each other.  We have learned that our family is the most important thing there is and through all the hard times, we have learned that our Heavenly Father is in charge and that he loves all of us very much. 


On Friday, July 22nd, we went back up to Huntsman for another treatment.  We were so excited that Kim (Rick’s sister) could be with us up at Huntsman.  She lives in Georgia, so it was so great to see her.  Here is a picture of Rick with our nurse Kelly who we love and also Audra, our new clinical trials coordinator.  We were able to get so many questions answered from Dr. Garrido today.  He spends so much time with us and makes sure we never leave feeling confused about anything.  It seems like the more I read about pancreatic cancer, the more questions I seem to have.  Rick calls me the research assistant.  For me, I feel like the more I know, the more I am not as scared.  It helps me to feel like we are in charge instead of the cancer being in charge.  We feel like knowledge is power.  There are so many new advances at Huntsman.  There are new trials going on all the time.  Each year gets better and better.  We feel so blessed to be there!  Another wonderful surprise happened while we were up at the infusion room.  Rick’s brother Joe came and surprised Rick.  He flew all night from Seoul and Kate picked him up at the airport and brought him to Huntsman.  Rick was so excited to see him.  Joes’s family has recently moved to Boston from Santa Cruz, CA.  One funny thing happened while we were in the infusion room.  One of the patients came up to Kim and asked where she got that Strong Like Rick shirt.  He said, “My name is Rick and I’m fighting pancreatic cancer also.”  We gave him a bunch of wrist bands and got his address so we could send him a shirt.  It was great to meet someone else going through this journey also.






Yesterday Rick’s family had a party for him and his mom.  We celebrated both of their birthdays.  The girls catered a bunch of food and brought it to our home so that Rick wouldn’t have to go out when he isn’t feeling the best.  Rick’s mom made him this cozy blanket to keep him warm after chemotherapy.  We are so blessed with such a wonderful family.  We are all so close even though we live all over and are many years apart.  When we get together, it’s like we have never been apart.  We love them all so much and missed the ones that couldn’t be here. 



Below are some pictures of our friends showing support for our family.   Josh Davis is our son’s best friend. He is so thoughtful and brings us pies that he makes.  (which are amazing by the way!)  Also Marcia’s brother sent this picture showing how he is strong like Rick in Afghanistan!  We also had a wonderful visit from Ryan and Lisa Bench and Callie.  Rick works with Ryan at Carollo.  We also got a picture from the Carollo Las Vegas office wearing “sock it to cancer” shirts and crazy socks to show their support for Rick.



We continue to be overwhelmed by the continual expressions of love, support and prayers from our friends and family.  We love you all!!!


#stronglikerick
#wheadonstrong