Hello all. I'm pleased to report that Dad is on his way home from Rex Hospital. I just talked to him a short while ago (I'm in Atlanta with Melinda and the kids visiting Melinda's family) and he is doing quite well. The past few days have brought much in the way of progress. Dad's been able to regain more of his strength and some of the cognitive setbacks (stringing words together, comprehension, etc.) have improved as well. So, with the guidance of his doctors, dad was cleared to go home today and that's where he is now. Needless to say, this is a major milestone in our journey and while it will still be challenging for him at home as he needs the aid of a walker, tires quickly and is a little restless, it will be easier for him to relax in his own home.
So, here's where things stand at this point. Radiation is still on hold as we were told it cannot resume until 10 days after the surgery. He's completed 7 of 14 treatments, so he's 50% complete. He did resume the chemo on Monday of this past week, but only took the pills for 2 days as it coincided with a major setback in cognitive function. The doctors aren't sure that the chemo was causing that, but once he stopped, cognitive abilities began to return fairly quickly. So, the chemo is on hold for the time being, but will likely resume with the radiation. Lastly, earlier this week, we did have to shave dad's head as he was loosing a considerable portion of his hair each day, so shaving it was a little easier. And now, as my Aunt Betty (dad's sister) said, he looks a lot like Howie Mandel on the TV game show!
We appreciate all of your prayers and support. Being in the hospital for 3 straight weeks is not easy under any set of circumstances and being there over Christmas is even more difficult. However, we truly appreciate how special family and friends are this year as you have stood right beside us during these difficult days. Clearly, we have a long ways to go, but as dad said to me just a short while ago, the goal for each day is to be 110% better tomorrow than he is today.
Several of you have asked what you can do to help. I've asked Mom and Dad to think about some things that they may need help with and I'll post some of those items to this blog once I have them (hopefully later today). But for now, I only ask that you hold off on visits in the immediate future until dad has a chance to get readjusted to being at home. Once he's settled, I'm sure he will welcome a few visitors, so we'll let you know when he reaches that point.
Thanks again and I'll let you know more as we have it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Our Status
Hello all. Sorry for the silence the past few days. I wanted to get up a quick post to let you know that dad will not be home for Christmas. Instead, we'll still be on the 6th floor of Rex Hospital. The doctors were nudging us in the direction of going home for Christmas, but after we discussed things, we felt that dad's condition pretty much made that impractical as he's still needing care around the clock. So, everyone OK'd the stay at Rex. We are currently working on securing a spot in a rehabilitation facility, so he'll be at Rex until that spot is found.
As you can imagine, Christmas in a hospital is not ideal. Please pray for dad and his comfort. Also, please pray for mom for strength and to find rest where she can.
I'll post more a little later, but I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the latest. Have a Merry Christmas.
As you can imagine, Christmas in a hospital is not ideal. Please pray for dad and his comfort. Also, please pray for mom for strength and to find rest where she can.
I'll post more a little later, but I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the latest. Have a Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Moved-- Again
Hello all. Just a quick post to let you know that dad was moved from ICU this afternoon to a regular room on the 6th floor where the neuro nurse teams are located. He has had an OK day-- still having some headaches-- but he's been able to eat a bit throughout the day. We aren't sure if the headaches are the result of the surgery or not, so please be in prayer that the headaches will subside.
I'll post more when we have it, but please continue to be in prayer for strength for dad and mom, both, as mom is staying at the hospital tonight with him.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
I'll post more when we have it, but please continue to be in prayer for strength for dad and mom, both, as mom is staying at the hospital tonight with him.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Friday, December 19, 2008
UPDATE: Out of Surgery
Hello all. Dad is out of surgery. We just met with Dr. Lacin (surgeon) and he said it was a success. He was able to go in cleanly and remove the tumor without any difficulty. In fact, Dr. L noted that dad was able to move his left arm on his own (slightly), which is the first time he's been able to do that in a couple of weeks. Dad is in the recovery room right now and will be there for the next couple of hours. Once he comes out of anesthesia, he will be moved to ICU where he'll be monitored overnight. If all goes well there, he'll be moved back up to the 6th floor to sub-ICU. Dr. L said that his goal is to get dad home before Christmas, possibly by Tuesday, but I believe it might be a little early to say on that.
I want to take a minute to simply say "thank you, God." Today is a good day-- the main goal was accomplished and the source of dad's pain has been removed, so we are hopeful that he will be considerably more comfortable now.
Thank you for your prayers and support this morning. We'll be at the hospital throughout the day. Please feel free to shoot us a comment via the comment box with this posting and I'll share it with mom and everyone. Thanks!
I want to take a minute to simply say "thank you, God." Today is a good day-- the main goal was accomplished and the source of dad's pain has been removed, so we are hopeful that he will be considerably more comfortable now.
Thank you for your prayers and support this morning. We'll be at the hospital throughout the day. Please feel free to shoot us a comment via the comment box with this posting and I'll share it with mom and everyone. Thanks!
We're Off to Surgery
Hello all. It is 7:05 and we just saw dad off to the OR just a few minutes ago. I'll be blogging throughout the morning providing updates as we have them. I can tell you that dad was more alert this morning than he has been the past couple of days, which is nice since we were all here and got the chance to talk with him a little. He told us of several things that he's planning to do after all of this is past us, including playing baseball with his grandson (gotta get that kid walking first!) and going up to Boone to watch Appalachian play football next season. So, you could easily say he's in pretty good spirits this morning.
The surgery will likely begin somewhere around 7:45 a.m. and should last about 1.5 hours. I'll provide more updates as we have them.
Thanks for the prayers-- please keep lifting dad up this morning.
The surgery will likely begin somewhere around 7:45 a.m. and should last about 1.5 hours. I'll provide more updates as we have them.
Thanks for the prayers-- please keep lifting dad up this morning.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Surgery
Hello all. After meeting with the neurosurgeon this morning, we've learned the the tumor on top of dad's brain seems to be getting agitated by the radiation treatments and the radiation is not having the desired effect on it as it seems to be with the other spots. As a result, the swelling of that tumor is what seems to be causing the head pain, which leads to the increase in the use of the pain medication, which leads to dad pretty much being asleep much of the time. So, the neurosurgeon (Dr. Lacin) has recommended that dad have surgery to remove that spot. Dr. L indicated that on the scale of brain surgery, this is not one of the more complicated ones and by his reading of the MRI, the tumor seems to be perfectly positioned to be removed as it doesn't appear to be intertwined with anything else.
So, here's where things are. We are on-deck for dad to have surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. The surgery involves removing a section of his skull, going in, plucking out the tumor and closing things back up. The surgery should last about 1.5 hours.
Beyond that, we don't know what the next steps are. However, whatever they are, we will certainly let you know.
So, we have a few specific prayers:
1. Please pray for wisdom for the neurosurgeon, Dr. L. Pray that God will guide his hands and use his skill to remove this tumor and alleviate the pain that dad has been experiencing.
2. Pray for strength for dad, mom and all of us. I'm not sure what else I can say about that one.
3. Pray for a miracle of healing, that God will completely remove this cancer from dad's body and will restore him to health.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
So, here's where things are. We are on-deck for dad to have surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. The surgery involves removing a section of his skull, going in, plucking out the tumor and closing things back up. The surgery should last about 1.5 hours.
Beyond that, we don't know what the next steps are. However, whatever they are, we will certainly let you know.
So, we have a few specific prayers:
1. Please pray for wisdom for the neurosurgeon, Dr. L. Pray that God will guide his hands and use his skill to remove this tumor and alleviate the pain that dad has been experiencing.
2. Pray for strength for dad, mom and all of us. I'm not sure what else I can say about that one.
3. Pray for a miracle of healing, that God will completely remove this cancer from dad's body and will restore him to health.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
We've Moved
Hello all. Late last night, on the orders of a neurosurgeon, dad was moved from his regular room in the hospital to a "step-down" room in the neuro ward of the hospital. In this new location, he gets closer monitoring by a staff that is more familiar with neurological cases. The move came about as a result of a consult by the radiation oncologist (Dr. Wu) before yesterday's radiation appointment. The radiation session never happened (equipment was down), but because Dr. Wu was made aware of the persistent pain dad was having in his head, he asked the neurosurgeon to consult. After doing and reviewing an MRI last night, the new doctor had him moved right away. We haven't met the new doctor yet, but we hope to hear more this morning about these latest develoments. I'll let you know more when I know it. Please keep praying for dad. Thanks.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Prayers Needed, Please!
Hello all. As I mentioned in my last post, Dr. O has recommended dad be released from the hospital and to a rehabilitation facility where he can begin the process of relearning some of the basic physical functions such as walking, arm control, etc. Mom and I met briefly today with Dr. O and we discussed this a little more. The only rehab center he could be moved while he is still undergoing radiation is over at UNC-CH, because they are equipped to continue doing his radiation sessions at that hospital with minimal transport. So, the hospital case worker is trying to get him cleared to be in that facility.
Here's where the prayer request comes in-- we need specific prayers for dad to be cleared to be accepted to this center and for a bed to open up quickly. Our preference is for him to be able to get over there as soon as possible, but we are keenly aware that this is all in God's timing. So, will you please pray for a spot to open up if that is God's will?
By way of an update, dad is resting nicely tonight. He had his 7th of 14 radiation treatments this afternoon, so we're half-way done. Please continue to pray for complete and total healing so that the cancer is completely removed from his body.
As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers!
Here's where the prayer request comes in-- we need specific prayers for dad to be cleared to be accepted to this center and for a bed to open up quickly. Our preference is for him to be able to get over there as soon as possible, but we are keenly aware that this is all in God's timing. So, will you please pray for a spot to open up if that is God's will?
By way of an update, dad is resting nicely tonight. He had his 7th of 14 radiation treatments this afternoon, so we're half-way done. Please continue to pray for complete and total healing so that the cancer is completely removed from his body.
As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers!
Monday, December 15, 2008
We're Making Progress
Hello all. Dad has had a few productive days since my last post. He began physical therapy last week and that has made a world of difference for him. As you may be aware, radiation and chemotherapy is quite tough on the body and dad is literally having to relearn how to do some fairly simple things (walking, center of balance, etc.). However, the PT is moving him along to the point that Dr. O noted in her visit this morning that she's quite pleased with his progress and she is ready to move him to the next step-- releasing him from the hospital and into a rehabilitation center. At a rehab center, he will continue with PT and will learn to care for himself once again. We don't know when the move will be made, but she was putting a case worker with the hospital on the hunt for finding an open spot and getting him there as soon as possible. This is a wonderful praise!
I visited tonight with Mom and Dad and I was amazed at his progress during the past few days. When I arrived after work, he was sitting up in bed and about to begin eating dinner. We were able to talk a good bit. Unfortunately, he had a headache coming on and it took some time to get the pain medication in place because his IV had come out. It took a while for the IV team to get to the room and then locate another place for the IV, so by the time all of that had taken place, his headache had gotten rather strong and it was taking some time to calm him down. However, by the time I headed out for the night, he was finally starting to relax with the help of some music in his tiny iPod.
Mom has had a rough couple of days as the stress of the past week or so has taken a toll on her. She had to head for home on Sunday morning and basically stayed home to rest and take care of a slight fever until late this afternoon when she returned to the hospital. However, tonight, she was doing much better (that's what the rest will do for you!) and she was ready to get back into the swing of things.
My sister has done a wonderful job of helping dad through encouraging him, cajoling him when necessary and simply tending to his needs. It has been a real blessing to have her there to help and I know that dad is glad to have her there.
We continue to be amazed at the way in which each of you has cared for us in your own special ways. There simply isn't enough space for me to count all of the things you've done to help us and I know that we can never repay you for the things you've done. However, please know that we cherish the prayers you are lifting up on our behalf and we feel so loved knowing that each of you cares for us.
Dad continues with the radiation and chemo. Today was day 6 of 14 for radiation. He'll keep taking the chemo during the radiation and once the radiation sessions are complete he will go to a cycle of 5 days on and the rest of the month off for the chemo. We aren't sure yet how long that process will go on.
Many of you have asked if it is alright to visit. While we don't want to discourage visiting, we will simply ask that you try to keep the visits brief as dad tires out easily and we need him to build up as much strength as possible so he can take that next step of getting over to the rehab facility. However, please know that we do appreciate seeing your smiling faces and the warm hugs that you bring to the hospital for each of us. As I mentioned, I know that we can never repay you for the love you've shown to each of us.
So, that's the latest. We do ask that you will continue to pray specifically for complete and total healing for dad. Also, please pray that God will strengthen dad to the point that he's able to make the move to the rehab facility and continue the process of building his body strength back to the point that he can take care of himself.
We thank you for all that you've done! Enjoy your day!
I visited tonight with Mom and Dad and I was amazed at his progress during the past few days. When I arrived after work, he was sitting up in bed and about to begin eating dinner. We were able to talk a good bit. Unfortunately, he had a headache coming on and it took some time to get the pain medication in place because his IV had come out. It took a while for the IV team to get to the room and then locate another place for the IV, so by the time all of that had taken place, his headache had gotten rather strong and it was taking some time to calm him down. However, by the time I headed out for the night, he was finally starting to relax with the help of some music in his tiny iPod.
Mom has had a rough couple of days as the stress of the past week or so has taken a toll on her. She had to head for home on Sunday morning and basically stayed home to rest and take care of a slight fever until late this afternoon when she returned to the hospital. However, tonight, she was doing much better (that's what the rest will do for you!) and she was ready to get back into the swing of things.
My sister has done a wonderful job of helping dad through encouraging him, cajoling him when necessary and simply tending to his needs. It has been a real blessing to have her there to help and I know that dad is glad to have her there.
We continue to be amazed at the way in which each of you has cared for us in your own special ways. There simply isn't enough space for me to count all of the things you've done to help us and I know that we can never repay you for the things you've done. However, please know that we cherish the prayers you are lifting up on our behalf and we feel so loved knowing that each of you cares for us.
Dad continues with the radiation and chemo. Today was day 6 of 14 for radiation. He'll keep taking the chemo during the radiation and once the radiation sessions are complete he will go to a cycle of 5 days on and the rest of the month off for the chemo. We aren't sure yet how long that process will go on.
Many of you have asked if it is alright to visit. While we don't want to discourage visiting, we will simply ask that you try to keep the visits brief as dad tires out easily and we need him to build up as much strength as possible so he can take that next step of getting over to the rehab facility. However, please know that we do appreciate seeing your smiling faces and the warm hugs that you bring to the hospital for each of us. As I mentioned, I know that we can never repay you for the love you've shown to each of us.
So, that's the latest. We do ask that you will continue to pray specifically for complete and total healing for dad. Also, please pray that God will strengthen dad to the point that he's able to make the move to the rehab facility and continue the process of building his body strength back to the point that he can take care of himself.
We thank you for all that you've done! Enjoy your day!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wednesday Evening Update
Hello all. I'm pleased to report that today was a much better day for dad. He started the day with a visit from Dr. O and a good breakfast. Dr. O told him that she wants to see him doing a couple of things: 1) getting up and sitting in the chair in his hospital room for a short while, and 2) starting physical therapy to help him stay physically strong. I'm not certain if he actually moved over to the chair for a while today, but I know that the first round of PT is due to begin on Thursday morning.
I spoke with dad on the phone after I got to work this morning-- it was wonderful to hear his voice on the phone! He sounded much better than he has in a few days. We talked about several items, but he told me that he prayed last night to God asking Him for a miracle of healing. I told him I was glad he offered up that prayer because so many people are asking for the same thing, but I also shared with him that today is a miracle. We have today, and that is a miracle. And if we have tomorrow, that is a miracle. And if we get the day after that, that day is a miracle too. You see, I-- like many people, I guess-- are so busy looking for the big miracles that I never really see the little ones that God provides us every day. Well, I don't know how to explain it, but I see those "little" miracles now and I'm so very appreciative of them. Thank you for praying for these wonderful things that God has blessed us all with!
Dad had his next round of radiation this afternoon. That's 3 sessions down and 11 to go. He also had his second round of chemo tonight. He's starting to feel some of the aches and sensitivity to touch that I believe are associated with chemo, so please pray for comfort and soothing for him.
We continue to be blessed by each of you. If you are able, I'd like to ask that you post a comment on this blog if you're able-- I'm reading the comments to dad when he's up to it and I know he would like to hear from each of you.
Thank you for your specific prayers and offers of support. It means so much to all of us and we definitely feel God's presence with us during this time. We love you all and can never thank you enough!
I spoke with dad on the phone after I got to work this morning-- it was wonderful to hear his voice on the phone! He sounded much better than he has in a few days. We talked about several items, but he told me that he prayed last night to God asking Him for a miracle of healing. I told him I was glad he offered up that prayer because so many people are asking for the same thing, but I also shared with him that today is a miracle. We have today, and that is a miracle. And if we have tomorrow, that is a miracle. And if we get the day after that, that day is a miracle too. You see, I-- like many people, I guess-- are so busy looking for the big miracles that I never really see the little ones that God provides us every day. Well, I don't know how to explain it, but I see those "little" miracles now and I'm so very appreciative of them. Thank you for praying for these wonderful things that God has blessed us all with!
Dad had his next round of radiation this afternoon. That's 3 sessions down and 11 to go. He also had his second round of chemo tonight. He's starting to feel some of the aches and sensitivity to touch that I believe are associated with chemo, so please pray for comfort and soothing for him.
We continue to be blessed by each of you. If you are able, I'd like to ask that you post a comment on this blog if you're able-- I'm reading the comments to dad when he's up to it and I know he would like to hear from each of you.
Thank you for your specific prayers and offers of support. It means so much to all of us and we definitely feel God's presence with us during this time. We love you all and can never thank you enough!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday Evening Status Report
Hello all. I'm here in Dad's room tonight as I write this post. Dad started radiation yesterday afternoon and it continued today. In all, there will be 14 treatments. Each session takes about 20-25 minutes. Yesterday was a little tough as dad was pretty much unresponsive due to the pain medication he was on. He didn't eat much of anything yesterday because he couldn't be woken up long enough nor could he swallow anything. As a result the doctor was not able to administer the chemo since it is done in pill form. Obviously, that was a little concerning. In fact, mom shared with me today that she knows God was here in the room with them last night. She asked God to help dad breathe and respond so that he could swallow, which would allow him to take his dilantin pill (anti-seizure medication) before they had to move to another, less desirable option. And soon thereafter, for the first time that day, dad began coughing and the nurse was provided an opportunity to get the pill into him. Thank you God for an answer to a prayer!
Today has been a little better. The nurse dad had today noticed the difficult response to the pain medication and took it to the doctor with a suggestion that they change to morphine. Well, sure enough, the pain medication he was taking was much stronger than the morphine, and perhaps more than what he actually needed. So, they changed him to the morphine and he's been awake much more today.
As for the radiation, he seems to be doing well thus far: 2 sessions down; 12 to go. The doctor was able to begin the chemo tonight, so that is now underway. The plan is to take that for 5 days and take off for the rest of the month.
So, that's where things stand for now. I want to thank each of you that have written in with comments. They are uplifting to all of us and it means so much to have your support. I do want to ask for some specific prayer requests:
1. Comfort for dad. The combination of the radiation, chemo and the various medications is rather taxing on his body. We need you to ask God to comfort dad by putting him in the palm of His hands and letting dad know that He is there.
2. Strength for mom and all of us. As I've said before, this is easily the hardest thing that any of us has ever experienced. Ask God to allow us to lean on Him and ask Him to continue to be our rock and source of strength.
3. Continue to pray for a miracle of healing. We continue to know that God is in control and He uses all things for His glory. As comforting as that is, it still kind of hurts in the quite moments.
Thank you again for your support of our entire family. We continue to be amazed and in awe of seeing just how many people love and care for our family. So, thank you. I don't know that we can ever say that enough.
ps-- I'm sitting here with dad right now and he wants me to tell each of you:
"Thank you for everything you've done for me and my family. I love each of you and you will never know how much your support means to me."
Good night all.
Today has been a little better. The nurse dad had today noticed the difficult response to the pain medication and took it to the doctor with a suggestion that they change to morphine. Well, sure enough, the pain medication he was taking was much stronger than the morphine, and perhaps more than what he actually needed. So, they changed him to the morphine and he's been awake much more today.
As for the radiation, he seems to be doing well thus far: 2 sessions down; 12 to go. The doctor was able to begin the chemo tonight, so that is now underway. The plan is to take that for 5 days and take off for the rest of the month.
So, that's where things stand for now. I want to thank each of you that have written in with comments. They are uplifting to all of us and it means so much to have your support. I do want to ask for some specific prayer requests:
1. Comfort for dad. The combination of the radiation, chemo and the various medications is rather taxing on his body. We need you to ask God to comfort dad by putting him in the palm of His hands and letting dad know that He is there.
2. Strength for mom and all of us. As I've said before, this is easily the hardest thing that any of us has ever experienced. Ask God to allow us to lean on Him and ask Him to continue to be our rock and source of strength.
3. Continue to pray for a miracle of healing. We continue to know that God is in control and He uses all things for His glory. As comforting as that is, it still kind of hurts in the quite moments.
Thank you again for your support of our entire family. We continue to be amazed and in awe of seeing just how many people love and care for our family. So, thank you. I don't know that we can ever say that enough.
ps-- I'm sitting here with dad right now and he wants me to tell each of you:
"Thank you for everything you've done for me and my family. I love each of you and you will never know how much your support means to me."
Good night all.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Trouble Again
Hello all. Sorry for the brief absence. Tonight, I'm in a room at Rex Hospital with dad. Dad has had a rough week that has culminated in some trouble today. I'll try to recap as best as possible to bring you up to speed.
On Thanksgiving day, Dad was quite groggy. While he was able to enjoy time with everyone, he kept dozing off periodically. We didn't think much of it as he'd continued to have trouble sleeping at night, so it would make sense that he was sleepy during the day. The next day, Dad and I played golf with my sister and brother-in-law. We kept it simple-- 9 holes only. Dad did reasonably well as he played probably 6 of the 9 holes, but he was worn out afterwards. From there, he gradually went downhill over the next several days. He had several headaches, one of which could not be quelled with Tylenol, so they went in to see Dr. O. They found that his potassium level was quite low so they prescribed him potassium pills and readjusted his steroid medication back to the pre-Thanksgiving levels. Dad went home and seemed to be doing much better.
On Thursday of this past week, Dad had another headache that couldn't be eased and on the advice of Dr. O, mom took him on over to the ER at Rex. They treated him with pain medication and did a CT scan. The scan did not show any additional cancerous areas, but it did show some increased swelling of his brain. They adjusted his medication once again and he was able to go home that afternoon. The game plan at that point was to begin chemotherapy (Temador) after he paid a visit to an ENT on Monday (tomorrow) to check into a lingering sinus infection. Unfortunately, that evening, while my sister was over to help my mom and dad with a few items around the house, Dad was having great difficulty with maintaining control of his body and about 8 p.m. the left side of his body went limp. They were able to get him into bed and gave him doses of his medication and he started to improve right away. We're not certain, but it seemed like he had a small seizure. Dad was able to rest comfortably overnight (Cassie stayed out there to give mom a break and to administer Dad's pain medication) and it didn't seem like he had any additional problems.
Friday was touch and go throughout the day with a lot of sleeping, but he seemed to be quite stable. I stayed at the house overnight to continue helping out giving the medication and dad had a restful night. When I headed out on Saturday morning, Dad was resting and they planned to stay at the house throughout the day. However, I got a call late in the morning and mom was on her way to take dad to the hospital. He'd continued to have problems with a headache and he didn't have a lot in the way of steadiness and Dr. O advised them to come in and a room would be ready at the hospital.
They got there and dad immediately began taking morphine for the pain. Dr. O came in and checked him over. She indicated that a neurologist would visit later in the day, but the goal at that time was to simply treat the pain and get him some rest. Unfortunately, the neurologist never came-- we later found out that he actually refused to come and Dr. O was quite ticked off at that. So, she ordered an MRI and one was done last night. Dad rested overnight and mom stayed at the hospital.
This morning, Dr. O made a visit to discuss the results of the MRI. The bottom line-- a 5th tumor has shown up on Dad's brain. This one is at the base of the cerebellum (the "little" brain that controls a lot of functions). That plus there's some swelling which is causing the headaches and the problems with movement on the left side of his body.
So, that brings us up to the current moment. Dr. O laid out the course of action: whole brain radiation and chemotherapy that would begin tomorrow (Monday). Dad is aware of all of the latest developments and he has agreed to go ahead with this course of action. So, the treatments will begin tomorrow and Dad will likely be at Rex for the remainder of the week or until he can regain some steadiness that would allow him to be at home.
I'm not sure what else to say at this point save a couple of exceptions:
1. We need your prayers. Specifically, prayers for comfort for dad and for our entire family. This is a very difficult situation and it is hard to maintain hope, so we need your prayers for comfort and hope. Also, we know that God can work miracles, so please pray and ask for complete and total healing-- if that is in accordance with His will.
2. We are choosing to praise God, even in difficult circumstances. I know this may sound crazy, but as Christians, we know that God maintains a perfect plan at all times for each of us. As a result, we really cannot question what His plans are and why He does what He does. Instead, we can simply praise Him for caring about each one of us to the point that He has a plan.
So, that's where the Parks family is on December 7, 2008. We thank you for your support and prayers. I will post additional updates as I have them.
On Thanksgiving day, Dad was quite groggy. While he was able to enjoy time with everyone, he kept dozing off periodically. We didn't think much of it as he'd continued to have trouble sleeping at night, so it would make sense that he was sleepy during the day. The next day, Dad and I played golf with my sister and brother-in-law. We kept it simple-- 9 holes only. Dad did reasonably well as he played probably 6 of the 9 holes, but he was worn out afterwards. From there, he gradually went downhill over the next several days. He had several headaches, one of which could not be quelled with Tylenol, so they went in to see Dr. O. They found that his potassium level was quite low so they prescribed him potassium pills and readjusted his steroid medication back to the pre-Thanksgiving levels. Dad went home and seemed to be doing much better.
On Thursday of this past week, Dad had another headache that couldn't be eased and on the advice of Dr. O, mom took him on over to the ER at Rex. They treated him with pain medication and did a CT scan. The scan did not show any additional cancerous areas, but it did show some increased swelling of his brain. They adjusted his medication once again and he was able to go home that afternoon. The game plan at that point was to begin chemotherapy (Temador) after he paid a visit to an ENT on Monday (tomorrow) to check into a lingering sinus infection. Unfortunately, that evening, while my sister was over to help my mom and dad with a few items around the house, Dad was having great difficulty with maintaining control of his body and about 8 p.m. the left side of his body went limp. They were able to get him into bed and gave him doses of his medication and he started to improve right away. We're not certain, but it seemed like he had a small seizure. Dad was able to rest comfortably overnight (Cassie stayed out there to give mom a break and to administer Dad's pain medication) and it didn't seem like he had any additional problems.
Friday was touch and go throughout the day with a lot of sleeping, but he seemed to be quite stable. I stayed at the house overnight to continue helping out giving the medication and dad had a restful night. When I headed out on Saturday morning, Dad was resting and they planned to stay at the house throughout the day. However, I got a call late in the morning and mom was on her way to take dad to the hospital. He'd continued to have problems with a headache and he didn't have a lot in the way of steadiness and Dr. O advised them to come in and a room would be ready at the hospital.
They got there and dad immediately began taking morphine for the pain. Dr. O came in and checked him over. She indicated that a neurologist would visit later in the day, but the goal at that time was to simply treat the pain and get him some rest. Unfortunately, the neurologist never came-- we later found out that he actually refused to come and Dr. O was quite ticked off at that. So, she ordered an MRI and one was done last night. Dad rested overnight and mom stayed at the hospital.
This morning, Dr. O made a visit to discuss the results of the MRI. The bottom line-- a 5th tumor has shown up on Dad's brain. This one is at the base of the cerebellum (the "little" brain that controls a lot of functions). That plus there's some swelling which is causing the headaches and the problems with movement on the left side of his body.
So, that brings us up to the current moment. Dr. O laid out the course of action: whole brain radiation and chemotherapy that would begin tomorrow (Monday). Dad is aware of all of the latest developments and he has agreed to go ahead with this course of action. So, the treatments will begin tomorrow and Dad will likely be at Rex for the remainder of the week or until he can regain some steadiness that would allow him to be at home.
I'm not sure what else to say at this point save a couple of exceptions:
1. We need your prayers. Specifically, prayers for comfort for dad and for our entire family. This is a very difficult situation and it is hard to maintain hope, so we need your prayers for comfort and hope. Also, we know that God can work miracles, so please pray and ask for complete and total healing-- if that is in accordance with His will.
2. We are choosing to praise God, even in difficult circumstances. I know this may sound crazy, but as Christians, we know that God maintains a perfect plan at all times for each of us. As a result, we really cannot question what His plans are and why He does what He does. Instead, we can simply praise Him for caring about each one of us to the point that He has a plan.
So, that's where the Parks family is on December 7, 2008. We thank you for your support and prayers. I will post additional updates as I have them.
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