All,
Just a quick update to let you know that we are currently at Rex Hospital. Dad's condition has been going downhill for the past few days as he's been sick to his stomach, unable to hold down food, very weak and sleeping quite a bit. Well, this morning when I got over to mom and dad's house, dad was quite weak and he got sick once again. The difficulty here is that he had not eaten anything. Additionally, this meant that he couldn't keep his medication down. So, we talked and he told us that he's tired of fighting and he no longer wanted to push ahead with any treatments. Dad was quite concerned about making sure that mom was taken care of and that Cassie, Josh, Melinda, me and the kids would be taken care of. We assured him that we would be fine. We also talked to him and told him that deciding to stop treatment is not a sign of defeat-- that it was merely the end of this phase and the beginning of the next, that God would be waiting for him in heaven and ready to welcome him. As many of you know, Dad has a strong faith and he knows-- he has assured us all-- that he has put his faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
So, we're at the hospital now in the Cancer Center and waiting for a bed to be opened up in the hospice unit on the Oncology floor of the main hospital. We greatly appreciate your prayers-- specifically that God will cradle Dad in his arms and provide comfort. Thank you for your continued support.
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemo. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Tough Day with Tough News
Hello all. The past several days have been tough for dad and all of us. Last week, mom and dad were out getting some lunch when dad pretty much lost all of his strength while getting out of the car and he had a bad fall in the parking lot. The fall shook him up a bit and mom decided to call Dr. O's office to see if they needed to do anything. Dr. O went ahead and bumped up dad's scheduled CT scan (originally scheduled for May 6) to last Thursday and they added in an MRI. So, dad had both done on Thursday. Well, we got the results today in an appointment with Dr. O. It appears that the latest round of chemo has not been having much affect at all on the existing cancerous spots (save some reduced swelling around the areas on his brain). Unfortunately, this isn't the worst of the news. There are at least 2 more cancerous spots on his brain now. One is on the left side and another is on the right side of the cerebellum. Dr. O noted that the spot on the cerebellum could be what is causing him to fall (he had another fall yesterday as well). Additionally, the cancer has continue to spread in his abdomen. Dr. O mentioned that there are "several" new spots on his spleen and his kidneys in addition to what was already there. Dr. O presented a treatment option of one final type of chemo to be taken in conjunction with Temodar. This is pretty much the last form of chemo available for dad to use. The chemo treatment will begin soon, but it had to wait for dad to get a blood transfusion this afternoon as his blood counts were quite low. The blood transfusion was successful and by late afternoon, mom and dad were on their way home for dad to get some much needed rest.
Friends, I wish I had better news. Unfortunately, I do not. While dad is still battling bravely, he's tired a lot more often than he used to be. He's also scarred as he realizes that this is a battle that he's probably not going to win. That's very hard for me to type. At this point, dad is fighting to get as many days as he possibly can.
I'm not really sure what is the "appropriate" thing to say right now. I simply ask that you will lift dad and our entire family up in prayer asking that God will provide comfort and guidance to use in the days ahead. Thank you for your continued support.
Friends, I wish I had better news. Unfortunately, I do not. While dad is still battling bravely, he's tired a lot more often than he used to be. He's also scarred as he realizes that this is a battle that he's probably not going to win. That's very hard for me to type. At this point, dad is fighting to get as many days as he possibly can.
I'm not really sure what is the "appropriate" thing to say right now. I simply ask that you will lift dad and our entire family up in prayer asking that God will provide comfort and guidance to use in the days ahead. Thank you for your continued support.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Chemo Today
All,
Dad's visit to the doctor yesterday showed that his blood counts had come up a good bit. Dr. O decided to give him a shot that boosts the blood counts even further and as a result, he was lined up for chemo today at Rex Hospital. I just spoke with mom a short while ago and she said that things are going well with today's round of chemo. He should be there until about 4 p.m. today wrapping things up with it. If the past chemo sessions are any indicator, the next few days will have dad sleeping a lot and in a little bit of pain, but he generally starts to come around about 3-4 days after the treatment. Dr. O did go ahead and schedule a CT scan for May 6 to see what the situation looks like in the chest cavity area. Obviously, we ask for your prayers for this situation and wisdom for the doctors to know how to treat disease. Additionally, please pray that God will provide dad with as much comfort and rest as possible. Thanks!
Dad's visit to the doctor yesterday showed that his blood counts had come up a good bit. Dr. O decided to give him a shot that boosts the blood counts even further and as a result, he was lined up for chemo today at Rex Hospital. I just spoke with mom a short while ago and she said that things are going well with today's round of chemo. He should be there until about 4 p.m. today wrapping things up with it. If the past chemo sessions are any indicator, the next few days will have dad sleeping a lot and in a little bit of pain, but he generally starts to come around about 3-4 days after the treatment. Dr. O did go ahead and schedule a CT scan for May 6 to see what the situation looks like in the chest cavity area. Obviously, we ask for your prayers for this situation and wisdom for the doctors to know how to treat disease. Additionally, please pray that God will provide dad with as much comfort and rest as possible. Thanks!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Status Update: April 15
Hello all,
I wanted to bring you up-to-date on a few things that have taken place with dad in the last week or so. As dad has been going through the latest round of chemo, the doctor has been keeping a close eye on his blood counts. As many of you are familiar, this isn't unusual as chemo is quite literally destroying the red blood cells in your body along with pretty much everything else as it attempts to fight the cancerous cells. Dad has been doing quite well, but a couple of weeks ago, his counts were beginning to decrease. Dr. O tried a shot that aims to boost the cell counts, but that didn't make the kind of difference she was looking for. So, last week, dad had a blood transfusion. The procedure was rather straight-forward and dad was back home and resting later in the day. Since then, his energy levels have risen a bit, so we're hopeful that it has made a difference. However, when they did the transfusion, the medical team had a hard time finding a vein to work with. In fact, the last couple of chemo treatments have been quite painful for dad because of this same situation. So, Dr. O recommended putting in a port. For anyone that isn't familiar, a port is a device implanted in the body that allows for needles to be inserted so that blood can be drawn, chemo can be administered and anything else that happens via a needle can be done in a less painful way. So, now, instead of the medical team searching for a vein, they will go straight to the port to do whatever is necessary. The port was inserted yesterday (putting it in involves a minor surgical procedure) on the upper-right side of dad's chest and he was back home yesterday afternoon.
So, we move on to today. Dad is going back to Dr. O today to check his blood counts. If they are high enough, he will likely have his next round of chemo tomorrow (Thursday). So, I ask that each of you be in prayer for dad's comfort, for wisdom for the doctor/medical team and for God's guidance on how best to proceed.
Thank you once again for your continued support and prayers. If you get the chance, please leave a comment on this blog or give mom & dad a call to let them know that you are standing with them during this time.
Have a wonderful day!
I wanted to bring you up-to-date on a few things that have taken place with dad in the last week or so. As dad has been going through the latest round of chemo, the doctor has been keeping a close eye on his blood counts. As many of you are familiar, this isn't unusual as chemo is quite literally destroying the red blood cells in your body along with pretty much everything else as it attempts to fight the cancerous cells. Dad has been doing quite well, but a couple of weeks ago, his counts were beginning to decrease. Dr. O tried a shot that aims to boost the cell counts, but that didn't make the kind of difference she was looking for. So, last week, dad had a blood transfusion. The procedure was rather straight-forward and dad was back home and resting later in the day. Since then, his energy levels have risen a bit, so we're hopeful that it has made a difference. However, when they did the transfusion, the medical team had a hard time finding a vein to work with. In fact, the last couple of chemo treatments have been quite painful for dad because of this same situation. So, Dr. O recommended putting in a port. For anyone that isn't familiar, a port is a device implanted in the body that allows for needles to be inserted so that blood can be drawn, chemo can be administered and anything else that happens via a needle can be done in a less painful way. So, now, instead of the medical team searching for a vein, they will go straight to the port to do whatever is necessary. The port was inserted yesterday (putting it in involves a minor surgical procedure) on the upper-right side of dad's chest and he was back home yesterday afternoon.
So, we move on to today. Dad is going back to Dr. O today to check his blood counts. If they are high enough, he will likely have his next round of chemo tomorrow (Thursday). So, I ask that each of you be in prayer for dad's comfort, for wisdom for the doctor/medical team and for God's guidance on how best to proceed.
Thank you once again for your continued support and prayers. If you get the chance, please leave a comment on this blog or give mom & dad a call to let them know that you are standing with them during this time.
Have a wonderful day!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
At Long Last-- An Update
Hello all. I realize that I've been gone from this blog for an incredibly long time. I apologize for the absence. Unfortunately, the only explanation I have is that sometimes life just takes over. After my last update, my own family's health took a rough turn. All four of us were sick and it took over for a couple of weeks. At a couple of points, we had to take our daughter to the hospital due to dehydration. There were many long nights, but all is much better now.
So, on to the updates. In early February, we found out that the cancer was 1) not really responding to the radiation/chemo, and 2) has spread from his brain to his chest/abdomen. Clearly, that was not the news we were hoping for. Dr. O sent dad over right away to begin a new chemo treatment that is administered by IV once every three weeks. Unfortunately, it takes about 5-6 hours to complete the treatment and it leaves him feeling quite lethargic. Since this initial treatment, he's done two more (the most recent one was today).
So, here's where things really started to change. After the first treatment, dad's physical condition began to improve dramatically. He was able to get around somewhat with the aid of the walker/cane and even on his own. He's gotten out quite a bit in the past month and done a lot. In fact, dad and I got to go to the Duke/Carolina game in Cameron (see photos) the day after his first treatment and he even got to go to a Duke team practice before the second game against Carolina. He got to meet Coach K, had his picture made with Greg Paulus and watched the entire practice! It was quite an event!
He continued to do physical therapy up through last week. But he's now going to be doing several of the exercises at home.
Yesterday was a special day-- it was dad's 59th birthday. Cassie took him to his office where many of his co-workers gathered to throw him a birthday party. He enjoyed the time together with them and celebrating this wonderful milestone! Later that evening, Cassie, her husband Josh, Mom, Aunt Betty and I gathered for a simple family dinner to celebrate. And later, several friends came over to enjoy the evening with dad. They swapped stories, laughed and listened as dad told stories of what's been going on during the past several months. In all, it was a touching evening and we were all glad to be there to celebrate with him.
Which brings us to today. As I mentioned, dad had his 3rd chemo treatment today. While I was with him at the Rex Cancer Center, he was quite drowsy from the active night before, but he was looking forward to completing the treatment so he could head for home. He's home tonight and resting a lot. Based on how things have gone the past couple of times, he's likely going to be sleepy and groggy for the next few days as his body feels the effects of the chemo.
So, that covers a lot of ground, but hits many of the highlights. I'm sorry that I've been gone from this blog for so long, but I'm back and will do my best to keep you up-to-date. When you read this, please forward it to your friends and contacts to let them know that the blog is active once again. And, as always, please pray for dad, mom and all of us to ask God to provide us with strength and to heal dad, if it is God's will.
Much love and thanks,
Jon
So, on to the updates. In early February, we found out that the cancer was 1) not really responding to the radiation/chemo, and 2) has spread from his brain to his chest/abdomen. Clearly, that was not the news we were hoping for. Dr. O sent dad over right away to begin a new chemo treatment that is administered by IV once every three weeks. Unfortunately, it takes about 5-6 hours to complete the treatment and it leaves him feeling quite lethargic. Since this initial treatment, he's done two more (the most recent one was today).
So, here's where things really started to change. After the first treatment, dad's physical condition began to improve dramatically. He was able to get around somewhat with the aid of the walker/cane and even on his own. He's gotten out quite a bit in the past month and done a lot. In fact, dad and I got to go to the Duke/Carolina game in Cameron (see photos) the day after his first treatment and he even got to go to a Duke team practice before the second game against Carolina. He got to meet Coach K, had his picture made with Greg Paulus and watched the entire practice! It was quite an event!
He continued to do physical therapy up through last week. But he's now going to be doing several of the exercises at home.
Yesterday was a special day-- it was dad's 59th birthday. Cassie took him to his office where many of his co-workers gathered to throw him a birthday party. He enjoyed the time together with them and celebrating this wonderful milestone! Later that evening, Cassie, her husband Josh, Mom, Aunt Betty and I gathered for a simple family dinner to celebrate. And later, several friends came over to enjoy the evening with dad. They swapped stories, laughed and listened as dad told stories of what's been going on during the past several months. In all, it was a touching evening and we were all glad to be there to celebrate with him.
Which brings us to today. As I mentioned, dad had his 3rd chemo treatment today. While I was with him at the Rex Cancer Center, he was quite drowsy from the active night before, but he was looking forward to completing the treatment so he could head for home. He's home tonight and resting a lot. Based on how things have gone the past couple of times, he's likely going to be sleepy and groggy for the next few days as his body feels the effects of the chemo.
So, that covers a lot of ground, but hits many of the highlights. I'm sorry that I've been gone from this blog for so long, but I'm back and will do my best to keep you up-to-date. When you read this, please forward it to your friends and contacts to let them know that the blog is active once again. And, as always, please pray for dad, mom and all of us to ask God to provide us with strength and to heal dad, if it is God's will.
Much love and thanks,
Jon
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Last Radiation Treatment Today
Hello all. As I write this, dad is undergoing his 14th and final radiation treatment at the Rex Cancer Center today. This is a long journey that began back in early December and was interrupted by the surgery just before Christmas. He will also take his final chemo pill tonight as part of this round of chemo. The chemo treatment will continue next month with a cycle of 5 days on and off for the rest of the month.
Please pray for a few specific things:
1. That the radiation treatments will be successful in beating back the existing traces of melanoma.
2. That God will perform a miracle of healing and not allow any new spots to develop.
3. That dad will be successful in the process of restoring some of the cognitive and physical functionality that he's lost during the radiation sessions.
On this last point, dad's vision and hearing has suffered a bit during the past couple of weeks. Apparently, this is not uncommon for people undergoing radiation & chemo treatments. Nonetheless, it is tough as he's not really able to see anyone or anything unless you get up fairly close to him. Additionally, he has a very hard time hearing and is experiencing a "buzz" in his ears. Many of these symptoms were present during the first round of radiation/chemo, and they did diminish in the weeks in between radiation sessions, so we are hopeful that this will be the case once again. Additionally, he's having a hard time communicating his thoughts when talking, and that makes him quite frustrated.
So, that's where we are on January 14. We appreciate your prayers and support. I'll update later once the radiation session is complete. Thanks.
Please pray for a few specific things:
1. That the radiation treatments will be successful in beating back the existing traces of melanoma.
2. That God will perform a miracle of healing and not allow any new spots to develop.
3. That dad will be successful in the process of restoring some of the cognitive and physical functionality that he's lost during the radiation sessions.
On this last point, dad's vision and hearing has suffered a bit during the past couple of weeks. Apparently, this is not uncommon for people undergoing radiation & chemo treatments. Nonetheless, it is tough as he's not really able to see anyone or anything unless you get up fairly close to him. Additionally, he has a very hard time hearing and is experiencing a "buzz" in his ears. Many of these symptoms were present during the first round of radiation/chemo, and they did diminish in the weeks in between radiation sessions, so we are hopeful that this will be the case once again. Additionally, he's having a hard time communicating his thoughts when talking, and that makes him quite frustrated.
So, that's where we are on January 14. We appreciate your prayers and support. I'll update later once the radiation session is complete. Thanks.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Latest Update: Starting PT; Radiation & Chemo Resume
Hello all. I realize I haven't posted anything in a while, so I'm sorry for not keeping you in the loop. Dad began physical therapy on Monday of this week. He's doing the PT sessions at the WakeMed facility in Clayton. They are mainly working on physical movement (walking, strength, etc.), occupational therapy (think: sitting at a desk and doing "work" tasks) and speech therapy. When someone undergoes radiation, it is basically destroying some of the tissue cells in the brain. Add in surgery and the removal of a small portion of the brain and there is a loss of some cognitive abilities. Mainly, dad just has a hard time verbalizing what he wants to say. The therapy is good, but tiring.
Also, he began the radiation and chemo sessions yesterday at the Rex Cancer Center. As you may recall, he had completed 7 of 14 sessions when they stopped for the surgery. So, as of this afternoon, he's down to 5 sessions remaining. If all goes as expected, he will finish with those next Wednesday.
Please continue to pray for strength and healing. I know many of you have asked how you can help and we're working on a way to let you know what some of the needs are that mom and dad have. Stay tuned to the blog (I hope to post something about that later today or tomorrow morning) and we'll get you the details.
Thank you for your continued support!
Also, he began the radiation and chemo sessions yesterday at the Rex Cancer Center. As you may recall, he had completed 7 of 14 sessions when they stopped for the surgery. So, as of this afternoon, he's down to 5 sessions remaining. If all goes as expected, he will finish with those next Wednesday.
Please continue to pray for strength and healing. I know many of you have asked how you can help and we're working on a way to let you know what some of the needs are that mom and dad have. Stay tuned to the blog (I hope to post something about that later today or tomorrow morning) and we'll get you the details.
Thank you for your continued support!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Homeward Bound
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.
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.
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.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Monday Update
Hello all. We traveled over to Rex Hospital this morning to meet with a couple of doctors at the Rex Cancer Center. I previously thought that we were there to actually begin treatments, but instead, today was to be a consultation and a "dry-run" for the whole-brain radiation treatment, if that's the approach they felt we should take. First up was a meeting with Dr. Wu. He is the doctor that administers the whole-brain radiation treatments. After reviewing his MRI from St. Mary's in LB, he said that it appears that there are 3 lesions that he can find. Additionally, he said that he believes dad would be a good candidate for a specific type of radiation that pinpoints on the lesions (called gamma knife), instead of doing the whole-brain radiation treatment. This is very good news because it means there will be less of an impact on dad with the treatments as whole-brain radiation is rather intensive. Instead, this pinpoint approach only treats the affected area and the impact is much smaller. It also has the benefit of being more precise. So, Dr. Wu got on the phone and consulted with Dr. Morris at UNC-CH to see if he agreed that dad would be a good candidate and Dr. Morris agreed that dad should come over for a consultation and it looked likely that the pinpoint treatment would be the way to go. So, we're currently trying to schedule an appointment to get over to UNC-CH for that consultation. If we end up going this route, Dr. Wu said we're looking at 3 treatments for the affected areas and that should be it (unless they find something else in there). Also, we believe that UNC-CH will want to do their own MRI, which is fine with us as we feel very good about their knowledge and abilities and want them to have the most accurate test information available. As a result of this meeting, there was no need to do the dry-run of the whole-brain radiation. Additionally, they've put the chemo treatments on hold as well as there may not be a need for them pending the decision about the gamma knife approach.
Following that meeting, we met with Dr. O, dad's oncologist. She, too, was quite positive about the gamma knife approach and spoke highly of Dr. Morris and his ability to provide diagnosis/treatment. She wants dad to monitor his blood-sugar levels and his blood pressure, but for now, she says that if he's feeling up to it, he can return to work and do things just as he was doing prior to the seizure. And since he's on anti-seizure medication, he's at a much lower risk of any further seizures at this point in time.
Dad will continue to be on a lot of different medications (some of which they will wean him off of over the next few weeks), but for now, the prognosis looks to be quite good. We continue to take the stance that we'll respond to this aggressive appearance of the lesions with aggressive treatment options.
Please continue to pray for healing for dad, specifically that dad will be a candidate for the gamma knife approach and that it will eliminate the lesions from his brain. Additionally, please pray for wisdom for the doctors so that they will know how to treat dad during this time.
I know I can't say it enough, but thank you for your continued support during this time. We stand in awe of what God has done in taking care of dad during this time and in how He has united so many people through this incident to see how He works.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, you are welcome to call dad or shoot him an e-mail. His e-mail address is nparks68@nc.rr.com. Thank you for your love and support!
Following that meeting, we met with Dr. O, dad's oncologist. She, too, was quite positive about the gamma knife approach and spoke highly of Dr. Morris and his ability to provide diagnosis/treatment. She wants dad to monitor his blood-sugar levels and his blood pressure, but for now, she says that if he's feeling up to it, he can return to work and do things just as he was doing prior to the seizure. And since he's on anti-seizure medication, he's at a much lower risk of any further seizures at this point in time.
Dad will continue to be on a lot of different medications (some of which they will wean him off of over the next few weeks), but for now, the prognosis looks to be quite good. We continue to take the stance that we'll respond to this aggressive appearance of the lesions with aggressive treatment options.
Please continue to pray for healing for dad, specifically that dad will be a candidate for the gamma knife approach and that it will eliminate the lesions from his brain. Additionally, please pray for wisdom for the doctors so that they will know how to treat dad during this time.
I know I can't say it enough, but thank you for your continued support during this time. We stand in awe of what God has done in taking care of dad during this time and in how He has united so many people through this incident to see how He works.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, you are welcome to call dad or shoot him an e-mail. His e-mail address is nparks68@nc.rr.com. Thank you for your love and support!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Next Up -- Treatment
Hello all. After a day's absence, I'm back to writing on this blog. As I mentioned on Friday, I plan to keep this blog going as we shift from being focused on getting home to the next phase: treatment. Dad is scheduled to begin treatment tomorrow morning (Monday) at Rex Hospital in Raleigh. He will undergo both radiation and chemotherapy. The chemo will be done by pill and the radiation will be done at the Rex Cancer Center. We get started first thing at 9 a.m. followed by a meeting with Dr. O. to discuss the situation. Naturally, I'll post an update as soon as it is available.
Dad has done quite well since arriving back home. He's had a number of visitors since Friday and we've enjoyed every smile, every hug, every laugh and every tear. It's kind of been like a mini-reunion since arriving back home and that's been good for all of us.
Melinda and I have talked a lot since arriving back home and there's one thing that is a constant topic of discussion between us-- the amazing way in which God has revealed himself in this entire situation. This one incident brought together so many people in a short period of time. Additionally, we have heard from many of you that you were either praying personally for dad or your Sunday school/small group/church/school etc. were praying for dad-- that is an awesome thing to see happening. Please don't stop. We have much further to go and we can use every prayer you can offer up as we know God can do amazing things.
Thanks for all you've done in the last 7 days. I will keep you updated in the days and weeks ahead. Also, please know that you are welcome to call dad as he'd like to hear from each of you. It does wonders for his spirits. Please be in prayer for us at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning and specifically pray that God will allow these treatments to work and eradicate this disease from dad's body.
Have a wonderful start to your week!
Dad has done quite well since arriving back home. He's had a number of visitors since Friday and we've enjoyed every smile, every hug, every laugh and every tear. It's kind of been like a mini-reunion since arriving back home and that's been good for all of us.
Melinda and I have talked a lot since arriving back home and there's one thing that is a constant topic of discussion between us-- the amazing way in which God has revealed himself in this entire situation. This one incident brought together so many people in a short period of time. Additionally, we have heard from many of you that you were either praying personally for dad or your Sunday school/small group/church/school etc. were praying for dad-- that is an awesome thing to see happening. Please don't stop. We have much further to go and we can use every prayer you can offer up as we know God can do amazing things.
Thanks for all you've done in the last 7 days. I will keep you updated in the days and weeks ahead. Also, please know that you are welcome to call dad as he'd like to hear from each of you. It does wonders for his spirits. Please be in prayer for us at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning and specifically pray that God will allow these treatments to work and eradicate this disease from dad's body.
Have a wonderful start to your week!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Breathing Tube is Out
Late this afternoon, the medical team gave the OK to remove dad's breathing tube. As a result, he was able to begin communicating with us a little more regularly. He's emotionally very fragile right now. He is aware of the seizure and the lesions and, understandably, that has him rather upset. However, in the interest of focusing only on the items directly in front of us, we're joyous that the tube is out and he's able to communicate with us. For now, we need him to continue resting and breathing.
We were finally able to track down the phone number for the neurologist that dad was consulting with back at home (Rex Hospital). We're planning to get in touch with her tomorrow morning and get her connected with the neurologist out here. We're also trying to get in touch with dad's insurance company to find out what they will/will not cover as we examine options. And speaking of options, the neurologist here says that he would like for the radiation/chemo treatments to begin right away. Naturally, we'd like to see that happen back at home, but we're still unsure of his ability to travel. So, we're waiting to see the results of the MRI that was done this afternoon before proceeding any further.
I do want to thank you for the comments that you've offered up-- they mean a lot to us and it is amazing to see the outpouring of support from all of you. It is wonderful to see God at work through each of you. Please keep praying for strength for us and healing for dad. We're about to get some dinner (it's about 8 p.m. out here) and will briefly go back to the hospital tonight before calling it a day.
Thanks for your prayers-- it is wonderful to see how God is at work through
We were finally able to track down the phone number for the neurologist that dad was consulting with back at home (Rex Hospital). We're planning to get in touch with her tomorrow morning and get her connected with the neurologist out here. We're also trying to get in touch with dad's insurance company to find out what they will/will not cover as we examine options. And speaking of options, the neurologist here says that he would like for the radiation/chemo treatments to begin right away. Naturally, we'd like to see that happen back at home, but we're still unsure of his ability to travel. So, we're waiting to see the results of the MRI that was done this afternoon before proceeding any further.
I do want to thank you for the comments that you've offered up-- they mean a lot to us and it is amazing to see the outpouring of support from all of you. It is wonderful to see God at work through each of you. Please keep praying for strength for us and healing for dad. We're about to get some dinner (it's about 8 p.m. out here) and will briefly go back to the hospital tonight before calling it a day.
Thanks for your prayers-- it is wonderful to see how God is at work through
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