November 1, 1987 Orem, Utah

Dearest Johnny; Roy & Patrice; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura & Brett; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:

Well - Halloween is over and it really was a fun evening - we hoe each one of you had fun too!!! We must have had at least 200 trickers & treaters come by - we had 160 candy bars and then a huge package of salt water taffy and we finally had to turn out our lights at 8:30 because we ran out. I have never seen more clever costumes than some of the children had - one came with a crocodile hat that was made from aluminum foil and it was darling. Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy all came over and they were all dressed so cute - Daddy and I had gone to their school Halloween Parade on Friday afternoon so we had seen their costumes - I don't know how you young mothers get everything together the way you do. I know Jean & Rick and Bob & Claires' children were all dressed up too - I think it is wonderful the way Halloween has changed from an evening of devilment to one of lots of creativity and fun. Roy & Patrice - I'll bet your little one will do some tricking and treating next year - we had a little baby about four months old come with his mother and she had made him a "cheetah" costume. There was a special air of excitement here in Orem last night because BYU had won their football game with the Air Force - 24-13!!!

Johnny had a fun weekend. He was invited along with about a dozen other young people to go to a home down in Southern Utah (really it is by Hanksville where we stop for gas on our way to Lake Powell). He took the Lincoln and pulled the trailer with the four-wheeler on it and they went four-wheeling all day Saturday. He came home early, early this morning because of a church conference he had to go to - he said they really had a good time - I believe there were 7 girls and about 10 boys.

I'll get you will up to date about Daddy. Bob & Roy will be getting a letter from the neurosurgeon he went to and I hope you won't be upset that I haven't informed you more. Really we don't know anything for sure yet!!! He went to the U. of U. Med Center last Tuesday for the MRI scan. Later that evening he had a phone call from the neurologist who sent us there and she said she wanted to see us in her office the next morning at 8 o'clock. Naturally neither one of us slept all night. When we got there Wednesday morning she said the radiologist from Salt Lake had called her and told her there was a "suspicious" sign on the 2nd vertebrae of Daddy's cervical spine. We had brought the MRI pictures with us so she hadn't had a chance to study them so she went over them with us and explained what she knew to us. she said the 2nd vertebrae would have to be stabilized with either bone grafting or an acrylic wedging before any further radiation could be done - in other words, spine surgery. Daddy and I just looked at each other all day on Wednesday. She had made an appointment with the neurosurgeon and also the oncologist for us on Thursday. When we went to the neurosurgeon, Dr. Gaufin, he went over all the pictures again with us and kept saying, "everything looks so good" - he didn't rule out the spread of cancer to the 2nd vertebrae but he said if that is the case they could do the radiation without any surgery. He said the radiation would kill the cancer cells and then the bone would rebuild itself. WE WERE SO RELIEVED!!!!! He asked all kinds of questions and we got impression he was thinking it was not the cancer spread. He dictated the letter he sent to you Bob & Roy while he was with us so we kinda' know what he said to you.

After the visit with Dr. Gaufin we went to the Oncologist and he wouldn't say what he thought - BUT we got the impression from him that he thinks it is the cancer spread. He wanted some more tests made - SO Daddy had the serum acid phosphotase blood test taken and also vertical pictures of the spine and tomorrow he goes back to the hospital for a tomorrow. We have an appointment with the Oncologist Tuesday and he will tell us more then. We KNOW that Daddy is having the very best medical help available and we really appreciate how everyone is trying to help him. That MRI was really an experience and if it has picked up the cancer cells that were not picked up by any of the other scans we know they are small and will respond to radiation. The Oncologist said to us, "We had hoped to cure it with the radiation of the prostate gland but if it has spread we will control it just like we control high blood pressure and other diseases". Daddy has excruciating headaches when he is sitting up for over two hours so something is definitely wrong. He had to leave church this morning and also the High Priest dinner on Friday night after about two hours - he is okay without the headaches when he can be home with his collar ( he is finally convinced to wear it all the time) and can lay down when he wants to. HE REALLY feels good and looks just wonderful - I know you won't believe that but it is truth. All the tests from the spinal trip were normal and his weight is the same as it was last April - you would never know the had cancer if someone didn't tell you. We are going to be very, very POSITIVE and we want all of you to be that way also. If he does have more radiation it will for two to three weeks.

I forgot to tell you about Ron's Halloween costume. His office always dresses up for Halloween and Ann said he has always been a good sport and gone along with it. This year he had the front page of the Wall Street Journal enlarged and framed and he wore it around his neck and at the bottom he printed - "This is the scariest thing I know of". His parents came for the game yesterday and Mimi had a Snow White costume and Beverly dressed as the wicked witch and they passed out the candy at Ann & Rons' home. I'm about out of space - the Beyers called yesterday - their daughter and her husband and family are moving to Centerville. Chris & Wayne just called - their son, Ricky, was baptized Friday - they're thrilled. We love each one of you so very much. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!!
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