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.
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
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The MRI and the Phone Call
Hello friends. By now, many of you may be aware of this news, but in case you were not aware, we've had a day with less than stellar news. The day began with dad's scheduled visit to Rex to have an MRI performed. It's been 3 weeks since he wrapped up radiation & chemo and Dr. O wanted to see how things were progressing. The procedure went off without any problems. However, later in the morning, Dr. O called my sister to let her know that 1) the radiation appears to have had no effect on the existing spots on dad's brain, and 2) there appear to be new spots that have developed. Needless to say, this is not what we were hoping or praying for.
Cassie drove out to meet up with mom and dad (dad had a PT appointment in Clayton after the visit to Rex) and shared with them the results of the MRI. I headed over from work to meet up with them. We had a nice family lunch at Chick-fil-a and then went back over to mom and dad's house to talk. Dad did most of the talking-- he let us know that he's not going to give up and that he's definitely not going to be pessimistic about anything, but he also let us know that God is in control and that when God decides it is time, it will be time and he's OK with that. I'm sure most of you know that dad is quite strong in his faith in God. As a son, it is quietly comforting to hear him say that last part; it's kind of like he's still teaching me one more lesson and I'm very much willing to be the student.
We all shed a number of tears this afternoon and I guess that's to be expected, but at the end of it, dad told us that he "was tired of sitting around and he doesn't plan to just sit around doing nothing." So, mom, dad and I got out and drove around for a while. Eventually, we ended up at their church-- Aversboro Road Baptist-- and we decided to go inside. The only other person there was a member of the cleaning crew, but it didn't matter. This was the first time dad has been able to go inside the church since before he was in the hospital back in December. We walked the hallways and ultimately made our way to the sanctuary. Mom turned on the lights and we all walked down front and just sat on the front row. The quite of the sanctuary was interrupted only by the chiming of the bells and I really couldn't have imagined being anywhere else at that time.
Dad wanted to go out to O'Charley's for dinner and my Aunt Betty joined us. We had a nice time, but dad was starting to get run down from the day, so after dinner, we headed back home. Dad wanted to sit by the fireplace and enjoy the warmth of the gas logs. His final words to me tonight were that he was going to be and that he planned on getting up tomorrow because tomorrow is going to be a "fresh start; a brand new day."
So, that's where we are tonight. As always, we covet your prayers. Specifically, we ask for the following:
1. pray for comfort and strength for dad, my mom and all of us
2. ask God to heal dad if that is within His will
In addition to the prayer requests, I have to additional requests:
1. I know that a few of you have sent cards and/or photos. If you haven't had the chance to, please send mom and dad a card and a photo of yourself to let them know that you are standing with them.
2. If you have a mother or a father-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a son or a daughter-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a grandson or a granddaughter-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a brother or sister, an aunt or an uncle-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you do those things, it will quite possibly one of the most important things you will ever do in your life.
Much love,
The Parks Family
Cassie drove out to meet up with mom and dad (dad had a PT appointment in Clayton after the visit to Rex) and shared with them the results of the MRI. I headed over from work to meet up with them. We had a nice family lunch at Chick-fil-a and then went back over to mom and dad's house to talk. Dad did most of the talking-- he let us know that he's not going to give up and that he's definitely not going to be pessimistic about anything, but he also let us know that God is in control and that when God decides it is time, it will be time and he's OK with that. I'm sure most of you know that dad is quite strong in his faith in God. As a son, it is quietly comforting to hear him say that last part; it's kind of like he's still teaching me one more lesson and I'm very much willing to be the student.
We all shed a number of tears this afternoon and I guess that's to be expected, but at the end of it, dad told us that he "was tired of sitting around and he doesn't plan to just sit around doing nothing." So, mom, dad and I got out and drove around for a while. Eventually, we ended up at their church-- Aversboro Road Baptist-- and we decided to go inside. The only other person there was a member of the cleaning crew, but it didn't matter. This was the first time dad has been able to go inside the church since before he was in the hospital back in December. We walked the hallways and ultimately made our way to the sanctuary. Mom turned on the lights and we all walked down front and just sat on the front row. The quite of the sanctuary was interrupted only by the chiming of the bells and I really couldn't have imagined being anywhere else at that time.
Dad wanted to go out to O'Charley's for dinner and my Aunt Betty joined us. We had a nice time, but dad was starting to get run down from the day, so after dinner, we headed back home. Dad wanted to sit by the fireplace and enjoy the warmth of the gas logs. His final words to me tonight were that he was going to be and that he planned on getting up tomorrow because tomorrow is going to be a "fresh start; a brand new day."
So, that's where we are tonight. As always, we covet your prayers. Specifically, we ask for the following:
1. pray for comfort and strength for dad, my mom and all of us
2. ask God to heal dad if that is within His will
In addition to the prayer requests, I have to additional requests:
1. I know that a few of you have sent cards and/or photos. If you haven't had the chance to, please send mom and dad a card and a photo of yourself to let them know that you are standing with them.
2. If you have a mother or a father-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a son or a daughter-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a grandson or a granddaughter-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you have a brother or sister, an aunt or an uncle-- hug them and tell them that you love them. If you do those things, it will quite possibly one of the most important things you will ever do in your life.
Much love,
The Parks Family
Monday, January 26, 2009
Two Special Requests
Hello all. I've just returned a short while ago from spending the evening with mom and dad. Dad has been having some up and down days recently as he's struggling with some of the physical and cognitive issues, but overall, he was in good spirits tonight. He really perked up when I showed him a photo I took this past Saturday of the progress at Kidd Brewer Stadium-- the football stadium at Appalachian State-- as he told me that he intends to get strong enough to be able to go to a home game with me this fall. I told him that if he's feeling up to it, then I would gladly make it happen.
On the drive home tonight, I really felt convicted to ask for two things, so I'd like to share them with you in this post. As I drove along, I realized that many people are not aware that the person and the family members affected by cancer often feel quite lonely. It's not that no one cares for them (we certainly understand that!), but because you cannot get out and about, you often feel as though you've lost your connection to everyone. So, with that in mind, I have a special request of each of you. I would like to ask each of you to send Mom and Dad a quick note and a photo of yourself to let them both know that you are standing with them in this fight. I have visions of filling up their house with photos of the people who love and care for them along with brief encouraging notes so that they both will know that, while they may not be able to get out to see you, you are able to come into their house and stand with them during this fight. Would you mind doing that for Mom and Dad? It doesn't have to be elaborate-- just a simple snapshot photo of you and your family would greatly be appreciated. Here's there home address:
Norman & Brenda Parks
1412 Edgebrook Drive
Garner, NC 27529
Also, could I impose upon you to forward this to as many people that you may know? I've heard from several people who don't really know mom and dad that well, yet they've been touched in some way by their story and it is my hope that this is another way to spread that story.
The second request I have is mainly for those of you who live in the Garner (and surrounding) areas. It would really brighten mom and dad's days if you could arrange for a brief visit. The key is to simply call before going over and mom will let you know if it is a good time or not. They may not always be up to receiving visitors, but they will let you know of another time that may work if that's the case. I know it would bring a little sunshine for you to simply visit for a while and catch up.
I appreciate you indulging my requests. We appreciate your prayers and continued support. Dad does have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning with Dr. O. I'll write more tomorrow after that visit.
As always, many thanks to each of you!
On the drive home tonight, I really felt convicted to ask for two things, so I'd like to share them with you in this post. As I drove along, I realized that many people are not aware that the person and the family members affected by cancer often feel quite lonely. It's not that no one cares for them (we certainly understand that!), but because you cannot get out and about, you often feel as though you've lost your connection to everyone. So, with that in mind, I have a special request of each of you. I would like to ask each of you to send Mom and Dad a quick note and a photo of yourself to let them both know that you are standing with them in this fight. I have visions of filling up their house with photos of the people who love and care for them along with brief encouraging notes so that they both will know that, while they may not be able to get out to see you, you are able to come into their house and stand with them during this fight. Would you mind doing that for Mom and Dad? It doesn't have to be elaborate-- just a simple snapshot photo of you and your family would greatly be appreciated. Here's there home address:
Norman & Brenda Parks
1412 Edgebrook Drive
Garner, NC 27529
Also, could I impose upon you to forward this to as many people that you may know? I've heard from several people who don't really know mom and dad that well, yet they've been touched in some way by their story and it is my hope that this is another way to spread that story.
The second request I have is mainly for those of you who live in the Garner (and surrounding) areas. It would really brighten mom and dad's days if you could arrange for a brief visit. The key is to simply call before going over and mom will let you know if it is a good time or not. They may not always be up to receiving visitors, but they will let you know of another time that may work if that's the case. I know it would bring a little sunshine for you to simply visit for a while and catch up.
I appreciate you indulging my requests. We appreciate your prayers and continued support. Dad does have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning with Dr. O. I'll write more tomorrow after that visit.
As always, many thanks to each of you!
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