Weekly Update

This was a long and busy week!  We got a lot done and it ended on a good note so it's all good.  :-) 

A lot of the focus this week was on planning and preparing for Reed's dad's memorial service.  Reed's sister, Sharlet, had a great plan in place for how it should go and with the help and input of all the siblings and Uncle Leonard we were able to pull it off.  Friday we all got together and gathered items from Harold's house that reflected his interests and personality.  We took all those items to the church and set them up in one of the rooms as a sort of museum.  Sharlet had built plaques to go with each category.  (Someone took pictures so I'll track those down eventually).   On Saturday morning we spent an hour and a half before the memorial chatting with friends and family.  We were moved by all the people that showed up to demonstrate their support and pay their respects.  Then we all went to the chapel after a very sweet family prayer.  I was so impressed with all the speakers who conveyed a picture of Harold's character and sense of humor.  Reed read the Life Sketch and he did an amazing job!  I was so proud of him and his strength to get through such a difficult and emotional task.   After the memorial service we chatted with a few people and then had the luncheon with family.  Funeral potatoes are the most perfect food EVER!  Mmmm!  :-)  The Relief Society had set up an awesome spread for us and we enjoyed the time chatting and laughing with our family.   After everything was all done, we packed the cars up and went back to JJ's where we put everything back where it belonged.  Then we hung out with our cousins at The Riviera on the strip.  It was a long day but Reed and I agreed that it was the perfect way to pay our respects.  We can't even begin to express our gratitude to everyone for showing us love and support.  It's made all the difference in the world to have such an awesome set of family and friends! 

The Photo Gallery we visited

The rest of the week we spent doing pretty normal stuff.  I went to work and had some patients who had interesting personalities.  I did get one IV started that the girl was in shock that I got it on the first try.  That always feels good to be a positive memory.  So much is riding on the IV start for patients and I always try to perform well.   Reed went with me to the Farmers Market and we took the opportunity to walk around the park as well.  We didn't end up buying anything at the market because it all looked like gross out of season fruit.  Winter's so difficult here.  ;-)  We also went to Caesar's Palace for our date this week.  We had a lot of fun looking at the aquarium that had huge, colorful fishies and really big stingrays.   Another spot we liked was the photo gallery for our favorite photographer, Peter Lik.  The salesman there showed us some aspects to the photos that we hadn't known about and I felt like we were such grown-ups talking about the photos and the composition, quality, and use of colors to convey meaning.  Usually art galleries are not a place where we have a lot to say.  haha 

That's about it for now.  I've gotta go practice for my musical number today!  Jeong and I are doing a cello/piano duet of If You Could Hie to Kolob and it is truly a magical piece.  :-)  We love you all and hope everything is going well!

<3 The Jacobsens

Weekly Update

All week I've had a lot of words and a lot of feels.  However, now that I sit down to write...they're all gone!  Typical. 

This week was a very special one.  A sacred event happened and one which I've been privileged to be part of.  After almost one and a half years of fighting pancreatic cancer, Reed's dad peacefully returned to Heavenly Father.  He fought an exceptionally difficult battle and demonstrated to those around him the mental strength and toughness that allowed him to keep going.  Ever since his diagnosis in September of 2013 he has endured a cumulative 8 months of chemotherapy, many rounds of radiation, an intense 8 hour surgery, countless blood draws, complications, and grim setbacks.  But through it all, he never gave up hope and was always appreciative and dignified.  Five weeks ago, Harold was hospitalized for pain, dehydration, and confusion.  They discovered a biliary blockage, infection, small bowel obstruction, pneumonia, etc.  His body was saying it had had enough.  Reed and I were able to be there almost every day watching the care he received and keeping him company.  Even though he was constantly in pain, he didn't complain and was always polite to the nurses.  He always apologized for not being a better host and we would try to reassure him that his job was not to host us in the hospital.  As we were sitting with him in the hospital, I realized that I was witnessing the sacred and intimate process of end-of-life and that Reed and I would not regret a single moment spent in those hospitals.  My thoughts were correct when he was admitted to hospice and within days he was clearly hours away from going back home to heaven.  The entire family was able to say goodbye and be part of his last few days of life.  His wife never left his side even at the expense of her own comfort.  Harold died in the afternoon of Friday the 16th.  I think we can say he won his battle and left us all changed for the better for having known him. 

I'd like to share the thing that comforted me most this week.  The Church Handbook discusses severe illness and prolonging life.  It says "when dying becomes inevitable, it should be seen as a blessing and a purposeful part of eternal existence".   Granted, death leaves behind family and friends who all must process their feelings and memories which is NOT an easy task.  But we would do well to remember that Harold is no longer in pain, he's getting an opportunity to spend some good quality time with the ancestors that he revered, he's talking to Reed's and my future children and warning them about how crazy I am, he's preparing the path for his wife to join him, he's getting to rappel the awesomest cloud formations, and he's completed his earthly mission. 

The first question I am asked whenever people hear what happened is "how is Reed?!".  I do want to thank you all for having such love and concern for Reed.  He feels all of the strength and comfort that is a result of your prayers and thoughts and he knows he is not alone.  Reed is doing remarkably well, all things considered.  He is, of course, sad.  But he has no regrets....nothing was left unsaid, no moment was missed.  He is very aware of the blessings and miracles that have been abundant these past weeks and he is relieved that his dad is no longer in pain and suffering.  Reed's testimony of the Atonement has given him confidence and faith that this separation from his dad is only temporary.  I'm so proud of Reed and everything that he is.  He impressed me with how easily he took on the role of caregiver and how well he performed in that role.  I admired how ready and willing he was to use the priesthood to give his dad and JJ blessings.  His sense of humor kept the mood light and enjoyable even during the hardest days.  It's an honor for me to be Reed's wife. 

I better get going and make my hubby some breakfast....we need our strength for the SEAHAWKS GAME TODAY!  :-)  Thank you all again for your help through all this.  Please continue to pray for Reed and his family.  We love you all!

<3 The Jacobsens

Weekly Update

It's been a very different week.  I honestly don't even know where to begin! 

First off, Reed had his birthday this week!  Yesterday, to be precise.  He turned the big 30!  He's been sick with the flu all week so we kept the day kind of restful.  We did manage to spend the morning watching our favorite movie, Guardians of the Galaxy.  It made us laugh so hard!  Laughter is good after what he's been through this week.  I made him waffles for breakfast (since he loves waffles) and we "argued" over Mrs. Butterworths and her origins which led us to watch old Mrs. Butterworths commercials from the 1960s.  In the afternoon we took a little walk in the sun (60's and sunny all day every day) before dinner.  For his birthday dinner, Reed chose homemade pizza so I tossed that together and then I sang him Happy Birthday over his FOUR birthday cakes!  He couldn't choose just one flavor so we took the choice out of it and got everything.  haha  Then in the evening we watched sitcoms until we were tired.  It's hard to believe Reed is 30 now!  He loved all the birthday phone calls and text messages he received...it made him feel really good and certainly kept a smile on his face.  Thank you all for making his birthday special!

As some of you may know, Reed's dad has been in the hospital for 4 weeks.  It's been a difficult battle where he would take big steps backward and tiny steps forward.  The pain from his growing tumors has been unbearable and he's become very weak.  His oncologist sat down with us and discussed the options from here.  Harold chose to switch the focus of treatments and is on hospice now.  He was transferred to inpatient hospice last night and once he gets his medications under control then he will be transferred home.  It was a brave decision that he made and one that did not come lightly.  Recently, an ESPN sportscaster verbalized my feelings on fighting cancer perfectly.  He said "You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live.  So live, live, fight like hell.  And when you get too tired, lay down, rest and let someone else fight for you".  The fight is never over, Harold is just telling cancer that there is no way it will make him live in pain and force him to be in the hospital.  He's saying that he wants to flip cancer the bird and take control over his own life.  In the meantime, Harold and the family could use your prayers for comfort and strength.

The rest of the week has been consumed in work (we're preparing for three big inspections), Reed's flu (he's getting much better now), and life in general.  I hope everyone has been having a really great week and enjoying the New Year.  Today is my Mommy's birthday so anybody who has her contact information, make sure you send her a message!  She's the greatest and I made sure to buy extra birthday cake so that we could celebrate her birthday in style here!  :-) 

Weekly Update

UGH!  We have a new schedule at church....instead of being from 9am-12pm like it has been for the last 16 years of my life, we are scheduled from 1pm-4pm.  I say again, UGH!  Buuuuut in an effort to have a better attitude I'm focusing on the fact that I'll get more time for writing and also for doing my hair all pretty before I go into public.  haha

This week was good.  New Years Eve was a rockin' party.  If by rockin' party you mean we ate a nice dinner of mac and cheese with fried chicken and then went to bed at 9pm.  Whooo!  haha  We realized that our current strategy of NYE was a little boring so we've got some ideas for next year.  We did set a few resolutions that seem perfectly obtainable so that will be exciting.  One of my goals this year is to start doing yoga.  Hopefully it will help me de-stress and improve my sleep. 

Reed's dad is back in the hospital so we've been spending some time there most days.  It's been adventurous seeing so many different hospitals and how they do things.  Overall we've been pleased with the care at all places.  Reed's dad is improving now and so they're planning to discharge him soon so that he can participate in a clinical trial of chemotherapy.  He is really looking forward to getting back on the treatment route. 

Reed has been having a lot of fun playing ball with a few friends here.  They all have flexible schedules so they're able to go to the park and throw baseballs, kick soccer balls, punch volleyballs, etc. during the day when it's nice out.  His friends are very nice and good guys and it's good to see him out and about with buddies.  Reed's job keeps him inside and staring at a computer all day long and I'm a firm believer that some social interaction is essential to overall well-being. 

I better get going and prep our crockpot meal....chicken, cream cheese and salsa topped with sour cream, cheese, rice, and more salsa.  (I'm going to be relying on crockpots heavily with this new church schedule!)

We hope you all have a great week!

Love, The Jacobsens