Remembering Robdob Video

This video played at the viewing on Friday night. The funeral service was inspiring. We hope to share more of the messages and memories that were shared here for those who live out of town and were unable to attend. Get a tissue to watch the video! It is beautiful.



Many thanks and sincere gratitude to all those who have been of service, sent flowers and donated to the Hope Trust Fund and the leukemia foundation. Ashley continues to be sustained by your prayers and love and the Spirit. Thank you!

Obituary

Robert Kenneth Ashworth, 25, a student, of Las Vegas, passed away December 13, 2009. He was born August 28, 1984, in St. George, UT, and was a 17 year resident of Nevada. Robert graduated from Las Vegas High School in 2003. He attended college in Missouri and CSN. Robert married Ashley Ann Squires July 8, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Ashley Ashworth; parents, Linda and Ken Ashworth; sisters, Amanda, Alicia, and Anjelica; and brothers, Ryan and Richmond. Viewing will only be 6-8 p.m. Friday December 18. Funeral services Saturday, 11 a.m., both at the LDS chapel, 4040 E. Wyoming (at Gateway). Graveside service will follow at Bunkers Memory Gardens, 7251 W. Lone Mountain Rd. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hope Trust c/o Robert Ashworth, 1055 Whitney Ranch Drive, Suite 110, Henderson, NV 89014.

A Few Things

There has been some confusion about the time of the funeral on Saturday, we would just like to clarify that it will be at 11:00 a.m. at the same location as previously posted.

The Ashworth family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Hope Trust Fund. This is a Robert Ashworth Memorial Fund that will benefit his wife, Ashley.

I would like to share the gratitude expressed by many in both the Ashworth and Squires families for the many sweet sentiments and great services that have been performed and offered on our behalf. With the strength and sustaining of the Spirit, it is getting us through.

Thank you to those have shared memories of Robert with us, I know they will be a treasure to Ashley and the Ashworth's in the years to come. Please keep them coming.

I just have to share a picture. This photo was taken on November 24th, 2009:

The most adorable, eternal couple ever!

Funeral Arrangements

We wanted to post the information that we know about the services .

The viewing will be on Friday the 18th from 6 to 8p.m.

The funeral will be on Saturday the 19th at 11 a.m.

Both will be held at the church building at

4040 E. Wyoming (just west of Lamb).

(The Gateway & Wyoming Building)

Thank you for the love and support.

Sharing Memories

We have already found comfort, inspiration, and even a chuckle or two sharing our memories of Robert with each other. We would like to invite everyone to share their memories. Please feel free to leave a comment with your memories, or send an email to memoriesofrobdob@gmail.com
Sometime next week we would like to compile all of these stories into a book and give a copy to Ashley and a copy to the Ashworth family.

A Wonderful Life

Robert Kenneth Ashworth returned home to his loving Father in Heaven at 9:20pm. He was surrounded by his family, Ashley and her family.

Setting the Record Straight

The news about Robert is a little better than it was yesterday. The word went around that Robert only had 24-48 hours, and we know that this was very stressful news for everyone that heard it. There was a time in the morning that his condition was very critical. His resting heart rate went over 200 bpm and there was concern that he would go into an irregular heart rhythm and require resuscitation. The doctors were able to adjust his ventilator settings and treat his pH levels to bring his heart rate down to a safer rate. It has been determined that he has ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), which is inflammation of the lungs. ARDS is a secondary response to some other stress. The cause has still not been determined since all the cultures have come back negative. Robert's condition is still very critical and he is receiving supportive care for ARDS, which means he is breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. He's hooked up to a plethora of monitors and is being watched very closely. His condition has been fairly stable since yesterday afternoon. The diagnosis of ARDS gives hope that Robert will be able to pull through this, although his condition could change from day to day or even hour to hour at this point.

We are moving forward with faith and so appreciate all who join their faith with ours. We know that Robert is in God's hands and He is in charge of the outcome. We continue to believe in miracles and to ask for one for Robert. Ashley is holding up with her usual optimism and courage and advocating for the best care possible for Robert.

*We will be posting if there is anything new. If there is any specific information that you would like to know or questions that you have please feel free to leave us a comment and we will answer it in the following post. It has been an overwhelming weekend, but we do plan to continue posting at least once a day.

Once again, thank you for your fasting and prayers on Robert and Ashley's behalf. We have all felt their power this weekend, and your love!

Fast Request & Update

Yesterday was a bit of a rough day. I couldn't bring myself to post. We received the results from the biopsy on the lump on Robert's chest. It is leukemia cells. The good news is that there are no leukemia cells in his blood work or in his bone marrow. It is the same thing that happened before, a few rogue leukemia cells that weren't destroyed by the chemo and radiation have just gotten together and formed the lump. The game plan: get Robert over his pneumonia, then send him up to Salt Lake. There they will do a lymphocite transfusion with more of Amanda's cells. That will force Robert's body to develop graph vs. host disease. When he gets GVHD then Amanda's cells will attack and destroy any remaining white blood cells of Roberts, including any leukemia cells. I believe they may also do a localized radiation treatment on the lump to kill those cells as well.
While they have a good plan to handle this new development it was still hard news to hear, and it took a day to process.

Currently Robert is still on 100% oxygen, his blood oxygen saturation is between 92-95. His pneumonia symptoms are a little worse today than yesterday. They are a little concerned about his brain activity as well, because even when they bring down his sedation levels, his brain activity doesn't increase. Ashley is asking that they change his pain medication from morphine to dilauded (or something else), because she remembered that he had that problem last time he was in the ICU and it helped. We're hoping that will help his brain activity right now. The docs have gotten back some of his test results, but so far everything has come back negative.

Ashley would like to ask anyone who can to participate in a fast for Robert this weekend (Saturday or Sunday). We are announcing in our wards here to fast on Sunday, but please feel free to fast tomorrow if that would be better for you. We are fasting for Robert's healing, but also specifically for his doctors to be guided to know what is causing his pneumonia and how best to help him heal. Please also pray for his speedy recovery, so that he can get up to Salt Lake quickly.

Thank you for all of your continued support and prayers. Ashley feels them, they are keeping her going; and she knows Robert feels them too.

With love and gratitude!

Update

There still isn't much to report on. We still haven't gotten any new results from cultures or tests. Robert is stable, and has been all day. He is currently on 100% oxygen to keep his saturation above the necessary 92 mark. They would like to be able to bring his oxygen level down soon. He is sedated. His chest x-ray last night looked worse, but the docs & nurses say that is typical of pneumonia and they will expect them to start looking better soon.

Thank you for your continued prayers, love and support.

Here's what's cookin'. . .

Remember that cook book we mentioned awhile back? Well here it is. . . (drumroll please) Ahem, that was lame. Let's try it again

(((DRUMROLL)))

That was much better! Here it is in real, life print. Life? Does that word describe a cookbook? Printed on pages that were once a living tree. Recipes to gift life to your body and a party to your taste buds. Yep, I think it works. I just love, love, love the title. Isn't the cover fabulously cute? It would have to be with pictures of such cuties, I just love those two.

This book is filled with yummy recipes, quick meals and family traditions. All these recipes are tried and true! Recipes I just love. If you don't have yours yet, you just might want to get one! We are selling them here.

To those who have already purchased a book, they are on their way! And a big THANK YOU for your support in our fundraising efforts. You won't regret it, we can really cook (and I'm humble about that fact!) Food is so good! I love food, and I just thought you needed to know. Well it is getting late and I might qualify as slap-happy at this juncture, so I'm gonna run.

Just don't forget to buy a cookbook!

Thank you for your love, prayers & comments!

Kisses!

*Robert has remained stable today. He is on a ventilator that is breathing for him at this point. They are maintaining his oxygen levels and treating his pneumonia. His blood pressure was a little low today, this is very typical for someone who is as sick as he is. They started him on meds to help with that. We don't have any test/biopsy results back yet. Still playing the waiting game. There just isn't a lot of new information at this point. When we know, you'll know, I promise!

Giving Thanks

Sunday November 22 at their Gratitude Night!

Check out those chubby cheeks! :)

Robert and Ashley gave me a gift. The gift of gratitude. The Sunday before Thanksgiving our family got together. We were joined by Mike, Lara & family, the only ones missing were the Bakers. Robert and Ashley started off an FHE by sharing stories from their experience battling leukemia. They pointed out in each story how gratitude has blessed their experience. Then they passed out slips of paper, on it was printed someone's name in our family. We went around the room and said why we were grateful for the person on our paper slip. No matter what your family relationships are like: good, bad or indifferent, they could benefit from that exercise. Suddenly you are reminded of all the amazing qualities each family member possesses. It was awesome! Here is a quote that Ashley posted on her facebook page:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie

Robert and Ashley are such an amazing example to me, and many. They keep their spirits up and look for the blessings in every situation, both big and small. To finish up they gave everyone a piece of paper with the words "Things I would like to be more grateful for..." I've been thinking about it ever since. And you know what has happened? I have noticed the little things, the tender mercies and even the things I first think are a frustration--yet they work out for my benefit. I have seen the Lord's hand in my life a little more than I did before.

So Thanksgiving Day has passed, yet today I am giving thanks. Thanks for Robert and Ashley. Thanks for their example. Thanks for Robert's life. Thanks for families and for friends!

Thanks for you! For your thoughts and your prayers!

With Robdob back in the ICU lets fill up his waiting room. Please feel free to leave a comment and let him know that you are thinking of him and are praying for him. And Ashpants too! Thank you!

*Robert's bronchioscopy went well, they were able to easily get fluid from his lungs, as well as a biopsy. We are waiting on results from those cultures. His initial lumbar puncture results are in and they look good, they also sent off for a culture of that, and it hasn't come back yet. No other test results are in as of yet. We may hear more after rounds tonight.

Robert is stable, and he has been calm all afternoon. Ashley is catching up on her sleep a bit from her eventful night. We'll post again soon!

Monday Update

I don't have much time right now, but I wanted to get a quick post up. Robert was taken to the ICU last night around 3:30am. His blood oxygen levels were really low (45%), so he was admitted, sedated and intubated. I was able to go down to the hospital at 5:00am to be with Ashley while she waited outside the ICU. The Pulmonologist (lung doctor) came out and said that Robert has stage 4 pneumonia. The doctor would need to do a bronchioscopy with a biopsy of his lung tissue. That procedure will tell them what is causing his pneumonia (bacteria, virus, etc.) so they know exactly what they are dealing with and how to treat it. They were doing that at 11:00am today. We are still awaiting word that he is out. (He probably is, but I haven't heard from Ashley yet.)

We are also hoping for the results of a biopsy from the bump on his chest and for his lumbar puncture they performed on Saturday. The results of a couple of cultures should come in today as well. I know that one was to check for cytomegalovirus (cmv virus). Do you remember that one? It is the one that 80% of the population has all the time, but only affects people if their immune systems get too depressed.

Ashley is doing pretty well. She was able to go into the ICU for a little over an hour this morning, before she had to leave for rounds and shift change. It was hard for her to see Robert on the ventilator and hooked up to more tubes. He got a little worked up, but she was able to calm him down. He is sedated, but not completely unconscious.

Thank you for praying for both of them today. I hope to post again very soon!

Love,

Janelle

Update & Prayer Request!

We took a little break from posting, I'm sure you noticed! ;) It has been so nice for the past month to watch Robert and Ashley settle back into normal life, well as normal as it can be. Robert has been back up to Salt Lake twice for check ups and everything has been looking good. They even took Robert off of his appetite stimulator. He's been gaining weight so well, they want him to slow it down a little. He still takes it occasionally, it helps with his nausea or if he has a couple days when he doesn't feel hungry. He has some cute chubby cheeks these days!

About a week ago Robert started feeling a little crummy. His docs thought he was detoxing all of the chemo and radiation and other drugs from his bone marrow transplant--a little too fast. He developed a small bump on his chest on Tuesday, and he's been feeling a little worse and sleeping a lot. He had a check up here in Vegas with Dr. Gollard yesterday (Wed). Doc was concerned about his overall health, so he sent Robert to check in to the hospital. They ran some additional blood work, and there are no abnormal cells (great sign). I talked to my dad just after he had been at the hospital last night to give Robert a blessing. While he was there Dr. Litman stopped by (the infectious disease doc) and he was checking Robert out. He said from what he could see, and the look of his skin (he has a rash?) that he thought Robert was developing graph vs. host disease (GVHD). Now that would be a good thing! We've been waiting a long time for some GVHD to show up!

GVHD would explain him feeling worse and worse. And one doc even said it could have caused the bump on his chest. If is is GVHD they will start Robert back on anti-rejection meds and that would help him to keep the GVHD under control and he would start feeling better.

We don't want to cause too much concern. Robert is in the hospital because as my dad said, "with all of Robert's health concerns they are going to keep him on a short leash." They also wanted to be able to help Robert feel more comfortable too. They want to know exactly what caused the bump on his chest, so they are running more tests. Today they will do two bone marrow biopsies--one on his chest and one on his back.

So Ashley wanted me to request extra prayers for him today! Pray for them both please!

I started this post on Thursday. Here is the Friday update: the results from both bone marrow biopsies are in and there are no leukemia cells. His blood cultures came back and they look pretty good too. His liver is a little stressed, raised enzyme levels I believe. They did an MRI and a CT scan, they were checking on his liver and kidneys and they looked good. This afternoon they were doing a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to be sure there isn't any infection in his spinal fluid. The docs thought that Robert might have a secondary infection, besides possible GVHD. So far they haven't seen signs of it. I hope this makes sense. It is a lot of medical info all at once!

Robert is feeling better. They have been giving him fluids and some pain meds, so he is much more comfortable.

Please keep praying for Robert and Ashley! We'll continue updating daily, at least until we know what is going on. Thank you again for your love and support!

Hugs & Kisses

XOXOXOXOXO