THE Official Team IronDean Donation

The holidays at the Bullock home have been amazing. We received so much, and luckily were able to give a bit too :)

Because of the holidays everyone has had a lot more time to spend together, and whether my dad likes that or not, it means that we get to tag along to his doctor's visits and appointments as well. But this appointment was special because we finally were going to be able to do more than receive...Christmas is the season for giving right?! All donations for the Team IronDean fund had been collected and we were finally going to be able to make things official.

We started things off with my dad's regular appointments. Can I just give some major props to everyone that had a hand in creating what is now the Huntsman Cancer Center? It is seriously the most amazing institution. The experience is personal and convenient, the views are RIDICULOUS, and the building itself, although only sad things bring you there, is inspiring and incredible. I have always known and heard that my dad was getting treated at one of the most amazing facilities in the world, but now I believe and can attest to it. In the world of cancer things can get pretty hopeless, but seriously Huntsman does everything they can to put at least a little hope back into your life with all that they do at their campus.

We wound through the second floor of the building to the brain cancer "headquarters" I guess you could call it, they gave my dad his paper work and he went and got his blood drawn. We got to sit and talk with the nurse about Christmas as she took his blood and then stuck his samples into the tube system they have that sends it to their labs. By the time we walked back around the corner to our room, our doctors were there, along with a few nurses and clinical research leaders to go through all the routine check up. They were very kind, answering all of the questions that my sister (Whitney) and I had to ask. They asked about how my dad was feeling, did some "normal person" tests where they had my dad squeeze with his fingers, shrug his shoulders, push with his feet, ecc. They check to make sure that everything is equal and that there hasn't been any loss of motor function. Dad passed with flying colors :)  Then the clinical research nurse/leader talked to my dad about the study he is a part of and checked up on how he is reacting to the shots they are giving him. Because of the type of cancer he has and its aggressive nature he has been able to be a part of this study that is in the last phases of testing. They administer shots periodically of a vaccine that triggers the white blood cells to attack a certain type of protein that is found on the cancer cells in his brain. We don't know if he is really getting the actual vaccine or just a placebo, but it is pretty amazing the types of things medicine is able to do these days.

Moving on, we finished the visit talking with the doctor. The blood levels came back normal and they are happy with the way things look. We are set for another round of chemo (which ends tomorrow! Kind of a funny coincidence that my dad's last dose of chemo this round will be on New Years' Eve. We will end this year off with a bang to cancer :)) But now to the good part!

After our regular visit, we drove just a couple minutes to the Huntsman Executive Headquarters to meet with the people in charge of funding and donations. We had a special slip of paper to give them and we were going to have the man of the hour do the honors of handing over the official check to Huntsman for all the money we had raised with our 5K fundraiser.

We all met in the main foyer of the building, it was a quiet day at their office because of the holidays and we made introductions and chatted a little bit together about our event. We told them about our dad and his winning battle, we told them about our AMAZING event and the incredible turnout that we had experienced, and then we announced the amount of money that we would be donating. Being able to experience the gasps, shouts, and expressions of gratitude from that small group of employees was so exciting. It was one of those moments when you feel like you have done something truly amazing for others. If they were just putting on a show, they did a dang good job, but I believe they were truly astonished/grateful for what we gave.

The official amount of money donated by Team IronDean and all of our amazing support was 

.........drumoll...........

$12,643.26

They couldn't believe it! We gave them some of the extra Team IronDean swag that we had and snapped some pictures of the official handing over of the funds. We need to make a big shoutout to each and every one of you that made that donation possible. THANK YOU for your support of our dad through this trial and THANK YOU for being a part of this winning fight with us. Cancer isn't going to tear us down. Not Team IronDean :) I have been able to witness some of the sweetest moments of my life as we have been reminded of what REALLY is important and watched as so many people have rallied around a cause that is truly inspiring and worthwhile. It is funny to hear my dad talk about this "dream" of cancer. Coming back from a run with a headache, next thing he knows he is in the hospital, then they have taken out a tangerine-sized tumor and now it is just back to the usual...with a little extra care and attention mixed in there :) That man is amazing and I am so blessed and honored to call him my dad. He is an inspiration to me and to all of the people that know him or hear about his story. He has never even considered giving up or surrender and I don't think he ever could. It isn't in his DNA. I thank our loving God every day for the blessings he has given my family to have been given so much during these tough times. We are truly blessed. And we pray for all of the people facing this and other devastating trials and tragedies. Hopefully you as well have seen God's hand during this Christmas season. Team IronDean prays for you.

Riding Along

I just wanted to follow up on my mom's last post (she is amazing, is she not?!) Because like she said, we are still happy despite what is happening, and we are seeing miracles every day still. I love, love, love that talk she mentioned by Elder Uchtdorf, especially that quote she shared about the fact that "there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it." Well here is something I found in my day to embrace and cherish and something that brought me immense gratitude and joy... 

My dad and I went out for a ride! I signed up to do the 1/2 Ironman with my dad and brothers in May and realize that I have a long ways to go and a lot to learn so I asked my dad if he would go for a ride with me so he could teach me how to use the bike...I didn't realize how complex a racing bike was! He hadn't been riding since before his surgery in July, but I still had a hard time keeping up with him! I peppered him with questions the whole way and we had more than a few laughs as I figured out which gears to use :) Lucky me to be learning from the pro!! 

Anyways, as we were out and I was trailing behind him (because not only was he fast but I wanted to draft behind him :)), I kept telling myself how special this was. I couldn't believe that my dad, who had had part of his brain removed and who had just finished his 3rd round of chemo, was out riding his bike. Hard to get much more miraculous than that. I realized what an immense blessing it was to go out riding with him and knew I would never forget it. 

We went out again the next week before the weather got bad, and I loved every second of it. An hour+ to just ride and talk with my dad....doesn't get any better than that. 

Despite the ups and downs that come with the terrible cancer territory, my dad continues to happily ride along on his journey...and I am so grateful that me and my family get to ride alongside him. 

Two Scoops of Happiness Please!!

Once again, my children have beaten me to the punch!!   I have been thinking about how GRATEFUL I am for the many blessings that have been poured out on our family and I went to add my thoughts  to the blog only to find that Sean had already done that!!  RATS!  He DEFINITELY said it better than I could, but I guess since it has been rattling around in my head, I will put a few thoughts down and give an "official" update on Dean's ongoing progress!!  I say "official" because I am actually at the Doctor visits with Dean and so I hear the results from the horse's mouth...hmmm, should I have said that??  Did I just insult our AMAZING Doctors???  Well, anyway, you will hear it firsthand from someone who was there!!!

To begin with, Dean had another MRI on November 26th.  I never give those MRI's a second thought until the night before they happen and then for some reason my "stress" button gets pushed and my mind starts heading down roads that I do NOT want to travel down!  Maybe that is normal, but I am trying to reel all those emotions in and keep things positive.  I know it sounds like I am living with my head buried in the sand, but I sort of like it there!!   OOPS...I think I veered off course a bit, better get  back to the update!  So, Dean's MRI came back as clean as it could possibly be.  The bright spots that were in the last scan have diminished significantly, which the Dr. says means those spots were probably caused by surgery and are now healing.  That is GREAT news.  There are no new spots or tumor growth, so the chemo is doing its job.  Because Dean has tolerated the chemo well, they are upping the dose.  I am not sure when they put a cap on that, but for now they are going to keep using the "big guns" to keep things stable for as long as possible.  I am totally on board with that idea!  Dean just takes it all in stride and doesn't make much of a "to do" about any of this.  He is of the opinion that if you ignore it, it won't bother you and so far, so good!!  Dean hasn't had many side effects, but seems to be a bit colder than usual.  He wears a beanie around the house and wraps up in a blanket, which keeps him warm (see picture below)...I am taking advantage of this because usually Dean has us keep the heater turned down WAY too low, now I can turn it up and he can't even tell!!!  So, other than cold fingers, toes, head and nose, Dean's side effects are minimal!!  It is hard to put into words how blessed we all feel as Dean continues to respond in such a remarkable way to all that is going on.   Heavenly Father has blessed and strengthened us in wonderful and unexpected ways. 

As I have been reflecting on how grateful I am for the blessings that have been poured down on our family, President Uchtdorf's talk from the October conference came to my mind.  It is entitled, Of Regrets and Resolutions.  I LOVE what he said and have read and re-read his talk in hopes of imprinting his words on my heart permanently.  He reminds us that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed.  The circumstances we find ourselves in do NOT determine our happiness...WE DO!!   I have discovered, to my great pleasure, that Joy and Laughter,  Love and Happiness do not disappear just because cancer knocks on your door.   In fact, I have found that those things become sweeter and deeper and more appreciated than they ever were before.  Elder Uchtdorf says  "...there is something in each day to embrace and cherish.  There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it."  I know that to be true...there is SO much to be grateful for, so much to "embrace and cherish."  Happiness and joy are available to us ALL the time...not just when the skies are sunny and the road is smooth.  I am learning to look at each day as a wonderful gift, to be lived and enjoyed with the ones you love.  At this time of year, when our hearts turn to the Savior, I am filled with gratitude for His beautiful life and the gift of His atonement that makes it possible for us to face hard things with joy in our hearts, knowing that he has felt what we feel and that he will not leave us alone.  He is there, I know he is.  He offers us happiness that surpasses understanding...that happiness is ours for the taking.  I think I'll have a double helping!!

Thankful

Can't sleep.

I think college will do that to you. After three months of a wacko sleeping patterns and late nights, my body just isn't ready to be in bed at midnight. My mind is still going. So, I think it is about time that I put down a little update for everyone...along with a few of my own thoughts and things over the past couple months. And no better time seeing as it is early Thanksgiving morning!

First things first, update on Iron Dean. He has been going in for weekly visits to have blood tests done, check-ups on his progress, prep for chemo rounds, participation in an experimental study, ecc. Well, you could say he is the shining star of the neuro-oncology unit at Huntsman! Doctors are elated by his only-positive progress. Treatments are being as effective as possible, Dad is reacting well to everything, we're just waiting for that hair to come back in nice and full! Seriously though, what amazing blessings that are coming our way. The only bad thing is that he is doing so well that they are going to treat the cancer more aggressively. Instead of double-dose chemo, our dad will be on a triple dose. I guess I wouldn't expect anything less from an Iron Dean. Keep the support coming as we head forward with fingers crossed and hearts full of prayer. Next week we will have results of the second MRI post-surgery/radiation.

Life has been so sweet; not the manly kind of "sweet" (sick/cool/awesome), but the kind of sweet that comes when you hold a new baby, or watch as people come together for an inspirational cause, or see God's hand as it works miracles in people's lives -- the beautiful and inspirational kind of sweet. That sums up what has been happening in the Bullock family world.

Cole Dean Nielson and Nixon Harold Bullock were both born within the last month (just putting this out there...babies are AMAZING!) I feel comforted every time I hold those little guys. The same power that orchestrated their growth, development and health is giving my dad the strength necessary to keep up the fight. I'm powerless in both situations. There is absolutely nothing that I can do to make a baby's heart beat or my dad's brain to heal, but I can trust that it is in God's hands and things will turn out right. I am going to use the cliché and say heaven feels closer when I get to hold those boys...and when I get to hug my dad.

That sweetness was only added to by the incredible amount of support we have witnessed as we threw our first annual IronDean 5K! It was so inspiring to see all the people who came out on a cold November morning to put their hands in for a giant "Kick Cancer's _______" cheer. It was also the first time that I had heard my dad say anything about cancer and his situation. Kind of a weird thing to think that the man who is suffering is the one who has talked least about it. He is a man of few words. I love him for that though because what he lacks in words he makes up for 100x over in actions.

Now I think I am going to copy my brother Jeff and make the rest of this post a letter to my Dad:

Hey Daddio,

It's Thanksgiving; our first Thanksgiving as a "cancer survival group" :) I think the situation calls for a little extra thanks this year, so I am going to start this list that I can add to when I need to to let you know what I am grateful for. FYI: There is no order to this.

I'm grateful for Costco hot dogs. Without them, getting you into the hospital could have been a lot more complicated...

I'm grateful for the care and affection you show Mom. This is something that has never lacked in your marriage up to this point, but I have been noticing more sustained kisses and hugs around the house between you and Mom. Thanks for showing me what love DOES.

Thank you for being a Bullock. That darn stubborn/fighter gene is what has kept you going through this and a lot of other things in life. I'm grateful you passed that on to me. Now one of my character flaws is a prized possession because it reminds me of you haha!

I'm grateful for your sense of humor, before and through this trial. Thanks for throwing up the peace sign first thing out of surgery. Thanks for enjoying our brain jokes and radiation puns. You really do "glow".

Thanks for not ever complaining about anything. It is always refreshing to be with you because, like I said before, you never talk about what is going on. You just keep things cool and classy :) I think I worry more about if you are tired or when your hair is going to grow back than you do...

I'm grateful you agree without fail to my weekly lunch requests. I know you are busy at work, but they mean more than you will ever know to me. One day it will be me treating you :)

I'm grateful for the above-average amount of hugs lately.

Thanks for teaching me how to drive. And thank you for passing on your sense of direction to me! I pride myself in being almost as directionally apt as you!

Thanks for picking me up and letting me ride home with you at least once a week. I know Greg thinks I am a gas mooch, but its mostly just so I can spend a little time hanging out with you. Living out of the house now...well it kinda stinks when the only place I want to be is home. Anyways, thanks for picking me up, taking me home and then just taking me back in the morning for class.

Thanks for putting up with my annoying questions during our car rides, even though some of your answers are a little...boring and unjuicy as I try to delve into the mysteries of your life :)

Thanks for teaching me how to appreciate girls. The way you treat mom, your sisters, and your daughters is special.

I'm grateful your "leaky-faucet" gene passed on to me.

I'm grateful that you are a little more tired these days. It lets me do stuff for you for once, even if it is usually just some yard work.

Thanks for being so unique. These days I feel like everything is a living memorial to you. At least 5-6 times each day something happens that makes me think "that TOTALLY reminds me of my dad!" A few include:

• Black licorice
• Stubbornness (as stated before)
• The words "Buckwheat" and "Girl Scout"
• Eating things that have fallen on the ground hahah! (when I do it or when other people do)
• 16 oz. water bottle drink mix packets from the dollar store
• Finding and taking advantage of good deals by buying in bulk
• Talk radio...i.e. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, ecc.
• To be continued...lots of things are slipping through my mind right now...I should have written them down

I feel sorry for the people around me all day. They probably get sick of hearing, "My dad loves/hates/acts/does that!"

I'm grateful for two of the most INCREDIBLE weeks with you and Mom in Italy, just 2 months before your tumor hemorrhaged. (See pictures below)

Our first day in Rome my dad and I were going to just run a couple miles in the morning...turned into a 5 miler through every major tourist site in Rome...Oops...that is the Colosseum just ahead of us

Mom and Dad in San Remo on the Italian Riviera

Maybe the tumor was having more effects that we didn't pay attention to...

Like father like son. I should be embarrassed of this, but it represents well a lot of what was going on during our trip. Ridiculous.

Mom and Dad in Rome

At the top of the tower in Siena, Tuscany

Hiking the Cinque Terre

Dock posing with San Remo in the background

Fog on Lake Como

Running in Rome

This is the Mouth of Truth. Supposedly if you tell a lie while your hand is in the mouth it will get cut off. As a test my dad said "I love you" to my mom. Needless to say his hand remained intact.

Look closely at the steering wheel guard...my dad loved it

This was the weeny elevator to our first hotel. It scared my mom to death just to get in it. My dad and I would wobble around and hop in it just to get a rouse out of her :)

The rental my dad was ashamed to drive. He said it was the ugliest car he had ever seen.

Biking the pistaciclabile in Liguria

St. Mark's Square

And as a final few things, I just wanted to tell God a couple things I am grateful for:



Heavenly Father,

Thank you for giving me more time with my dad.

Thanks for making that time the sweetest I have ever had. Knowing that there could be a slightly shorter time-limit with someone changes your perspective. I needed that.

Thanks for the little things throughout the day that give me boosts and remind me life is amazing.

Thanks for my amazing brothers, sisters, mom and dad...and all other extended family.

Thanks for the gospel that brings hope in a happy future.

Thanks for miracles.

To finish off, here is a link to an AMAZING talk for anybody who needs a little boost. Elder Richard G. Scott puts it so amazingly. Luckily I ran across this because of a homework reading assignment.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng

Team IronDean 5K

WOW!!

There really are no words except

WOW!!

Team IronDean 5k was an absolute success.

STATS:

1. Over 450 people registered for the race.

2. We raised and will be donating over $10,000 to Huntsman Cancer Institute.

3. J-dawgs donated 500 hot dogs and catering.

4. Over 80 raffle items were handed out. Including an i-touch, i-pod nano, duffle bags, puzzles, gift cards, leapsters, pillows, an awesome watch, and much much more.

5. Everyone was able to stomp out over 50 brains layed on the ground throughout the course.

6. Loudest "kick cancers {fill in the blank}" cheer yet!

 

I don't want to get too wordy, but I know my Mom wants this blog to be a way for Alex to be able to come home from his mission and feel like he was connected somehow to all that we have experienced while he has been away.

 

So, from the "race directors" point of view..... Races are a lot of work!! {And I didn't even do all that much!} Can I just say that having 8 siblings is pretty dang awesome! Between all of us there was over 4,000 e-mails sent regarding the 5k (some were as simple as "order in the court" and "overuled"), but still...., everyone was in constant contact over who was doing what and what still needed to happen. Tons of phone calls, lots research, i-video meetings, and much more!

 

A few shout-outs....and I know I am going to miss some, but I am still going to attempt it:)

 

Chris Nielski {Whitney's Hubby}: Gathered everyone together and said let's do this back in August. We had our first "meeting" down in their apartment and Chris had his spreadsheet and Google-Doc all set up and ready to make assignments. Thanks for getting the ball rolling Chris!!

 

Whitney: Holy Cow. This girl is amazing. 9 months pregnant she walked the course, set up the map, she ordered the shirts, she arranged the porta-potty's, she called the city's of s.j. and riverton and oked everything with the police department{which was an ENOURMOUS undertaking}, she reserved the pavillion, she sent probably 1,000 of our 4,000 e-mails. She was awesome. I cannot even descibe all the work she put in. :) Thanks Whid.

 

Jeff: If he ever decides to quit being an accountant {he can't quit working for Grandview Dental... but everyone else} then he should be a race director! Jeff was awesome. He was at every meeting with pen and notepad in hand. He was the main decision maker in every aspect of the race. He set up the registration page and the bank accounts. He managed all of the money, made a million to do lists, purchased all of the food, and race course set-up materials, he packed the trailer, set up the course, handed out his credit card number {love the new jeans btw:) mwa-haha} . Jeff had his hand in every aspect of the race. He was the man in charge, and he was amazing!

 

Ryan: Was the first to take the scary step of asking for donations. NO ONE likes to ask other people for money. But Ryan drafted a letter and sent it to his Boss who was beyond generous and supportive. Ryan got us all of the donations from wasatch running, along with the race tags and timer.  And can I just say that Ryan rocked it as M.C.? We knew he would though. Anyone who meets Ryan is sure to have a quick friend. We had fun trying to think of the worst jobs to assign Ryan:))

 

Lexi: This girl is A-MA-ZING... Poor Lexi. She practically had a full time job branding everything for this race. She designed every single thing. From the website to the t-shirts, water bottles, chapsticks, picture backdrop, back-packs, letter head, race course signs.... I know I am forgetting things but Lexi worked non-stop to make this race look professional and uniform and really just awesome!! Almost every step of the way Lexi had to help. We needed her talents and input constantly!

 

Greg: Thank you for marrying Lexi. Seriously. :) Greg was our gopher. Any time we had a job that needed to be done, we sent Greg a quick text and knew it would be taken care of. And since Greg and Sean were the most recently returned missionaries they were put in charge of finding donors:) Thank you boys... that is the worst job in my book.... Oh, and did I mention he married Lexi:)

 

Jordan: Jordan was the first to spend money in honor of Team IronDean:)) She ordered the wrist bands and got the ball rolling. She was also in charge of all e-mails and volunteers..... and she has already started to save for flights for next year. She refuses to be in Texas next time. We missed you but had you there in spirit Dode!!!!

 

Sean: Aka Richard, Ricardo, S-baby, Juan..... the man of many nicknames.... Music at the race was courtesy of Richard.. {Even if there was a song with the F-bomb and the beeoch:)}.... He quickly made up for it by being the man responsible for getting us J-dawgs!!! And of course anything that needed to sound professional from letters to website info and more Sean drafted up for us... That boy is a wizard with words!!

 

Lindsey: Thats me:) I will just say I was really good at putting out orders and bossing people around. But I think that is my job as the oldest daughter right? Although I did get those sweet backpacks ordered and was in charge of the bagel donations:)

 

Kim: Um.... have you seen the awesome picture's? Kim did an amazing job at capturing the moments of the race. And she was practically a single Mom for 2 months letting Jeff run around town getting everything organized!

 

Dillon: was an awesome helper at stuffing race packets, delivering flyers, and letting us boss him around when needed.

 

Grandkids: Helped us deliver signs around Grandpa's neighborhood and were all soooo excited to "train" for the 5k. Even the one's who couldn't make it from out of state:)

 

 

 

Like I said, I know there is sooo much I am forgetting, but it has been so much fun to organize this with my siblings. I feel like we were all able to contribute in our own unique way. And on that note can I just say I have the worlds best siblings? Seriously. They are awesome. Each and every one of them. I looked forward to checking my e-mail each morning wondering what brother was making a wise crack about how "annoying" us girls were, or an e-mail from one of the girls that actually had some "important" information in it:)

 

Of course our biggest thank you obviously is to each of you who helped, participated, volunteered, donated, and became a member of Team IronDean. We could not have done it without you. I know I speak for all of my siblings and my parents in saying Thank you! Everyone has been so kind and thoughful and supportive and just amazing in following and helping us throughout this journey. All of your prayers, and kind words, and again your support in making this day so special for our Dad and Family. Thank you so very much!

 

So many of you went above and beyond.. My Dad's sister Robin and her husband Gary flew in from Georgia to participate. My Parents neighbor Brother Martin... who is a HUGE Utah fan {yuck:)} went out and bought all BYU gear and wore it to the race in support of my Dad. That brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I don't think I could wear Utah gear for anyone!!:) Some of my Dads customers that he has been selling labels to for years came out to support and love him. So many friends of us kids from High School and College came out to support. I wish I could mention all of you individually. It really meant so much to all of us, and especially our Dad, so thank you!

 

When we decided to do this race we kept it a secret from our parents. We wanted to make sure we could pull it off before we announced anything:) And after much planning and preparing and once we got the website "LIVE" all the kids came over to my parents house and {me and Jordan were on our i-pads on skype}. Greg hooked up the apple T.V. and put the website up on it and Ryan went through the website and read each page to our parents. And the whole time my Dad was wiping away the tears. He is not a man big on words but his emotions spoke volumes. And then he and my Mom were the first 2 people to register for the race! I think it was a special moment for them. And each registrant after that made this race more and more special. So, thank you so so much. Thank you doesn't seem adequite enough. But please know that we sincerely mean it. We could not have done it without all of you.

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

 

So without further delay......The picture's from the race are posted below. They really speak for themselves.