WORK AND WORKOUT

Dad went back to work today. We are so grateful. Mom has cared for Dad for the last 6 months, and I'm sure it will be a transition for her, too. Dad is also starting a physical therapy program to regain his health and strength. We hope this new chapter in his cancer rehabilitation goes well. I'm sure that Mom will have an adjustment to make now, too. I can't imagine what it must be like to go from being with and caring for Dad 24/7 to having him gone most of the day! Luckily, Thanksgiving is coming up, so many of us will be together again.

WORD OF THE DAY

REMISSION. Definition: A temporary or permanent decrease or subsidence of manifestations of a disease. Example: Ron Roberts is in complete remission from stage 4 non-hodgkins lymphoma. Joyous party time! He will be monitored every 4 months to make sure the aggressive B-cell cancer is staying away. The indolent cancer in his bones is only manifesting in 5% of his bones, so it's something they will watch over time. Thankful. Thankful. Thankful.

We're all in shock. My parents are leaving MD Anderson with their jaws on the floor. They expected some drama from the oncologist today, but it just didn't happen! The oncologist didn't see any signs of cancer, and he doesn't even want my dad to do maintenance chemotherapy with rituxumab (he feels that there isn't enough evidence to prove its effectiveness and it just weakens the body and predisposes it to infection). In other words: Dad is COMPLETELY finished until further notice. What a relief! We're so grateful for the mercy and health that Dad has been granted. He's excited to go home, do physical therapy, and get back to a normal life. We couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving gift.

Thanks so much to everyone for your love and support. The letters, phone calls, prayers, gifts, blessings, and food have meant the world to our whole family. I don't think I'll need to update this blog very often anymore. I'll give updates every month, or so, on how Dad's health and strength are doing; but hopefully, there won't be any drama to share!

We'll definitely be sending up prayers of gratitude today. Our love to you all.

MORE PROGRESS

Thanks to Mom's mad cooking skills and endurance, Dad has put on about 12 pounds since he came home from the hospital. Mom has put 3 Ensures a day in front of him and feeds him whatever meals his appetite calls for. She's amazing!

Dad is feeling really good and starting to get around well. Brooklyn came from Thursday through Tuesday and had a great time with them. Mom and Dad loved it, too. Dad was able to go on a few short outings while Brooklyn was here, which really boosts him. As for work, Dad's boss has been very protective of Dad and doesn't want Dad back at the office until we find out from the MD Andersen doctors what's going on. Mom and Dad will be there for tests starting next weekend. We are anxious to know what's going on inside Dad's body.

Mom is "lucky" enough to be due for another colonoscopy to see if all is well with her. She is a pro at this by now, but it doesn't make it any easier. She still gets a little bit of anxiety whenever she is tested and prodded to determine if cancer is lurking. We're optimistic that all will be well. Her colonoscopy is next week.

We're so grateful that Dad is responding to the antibiotics and feeling more normal, and we're so glad that he has Mom to feed him good, nutritious meals. We'll have more to share when they return from Houston. Thanks so much for all of the love and concern!

PROGRESS

Dad is still recovering, although it is and will be a long process requiring a lot of patience. Chris was here until Sunday night, and Mom and Dad ate up every minute they had with him. Chris got them technologically caught up, and they got to spend a lot of quality one-on-one time together.

I'm lucky enough to have bought a plane ticket back in August that allowed me to be here yesterday and today. Dad started going on short walks last week, and I got to join them for one walk down by the bosque to enjoy the fall leaves along the river.

Dad had another follow-up apppointment with the oncologist this morning, and he didn't need any fluids of any kind. Yahoo! They told Dad that he could start going to work soon on a VERY LIMITED basis. Dad was excited to hear that, as he has really missed his work. They still want him to be on guard in public and to never go where there will be a lot of people, especially children. Dad is eating a lot and drinking 3 Ensures a day, trying to get some meat on his bones. I think we would all like to see the weight come back quicker, but the nurse reminded us that it will take months and months to feel "normal" again (we're not sure what that will mean for Dad).

Brooklyn flies in tomorrow and will spend the next 5 days here. It has been awesome for Mom and Dad and us kids to get one-on-one time with each other. There are definitely some blessings that come with trials, for sure!

STILL DOING WELL

Dad continues to recover. He had an appointment yesterday with the oncologist and all is well. Dad is still stable and gaining strength.

Chris has been there since Wednesday, and Mom and Dad are loving it! We're so grateful for this time of peace and healing!

NO NEWS

I love that there isn't any news to report! Dad is loving being home. He is still feeling pretty good and continuing to recover. He's up a lot at night, but he does feel more rested. Hooray for short, simple posts!

HOME

That's right. Dad was discharged from the hospital tonight! We're in shock that he made such a rapid recovery, but so grateful! The oncologist came to his room tonight and said that she saw no reason why he needed to be in the hospital. She said that he was maintaining his fluid and blood levels on his own now, so she felt that he could go home. He will still be monitored very, very closely with frequent visits to the oncology clinic; but I'm sure that he will sleep soundly tonight (without a single interruption!).

We are so grateful that Dad was responsive to the medical intervention and that the medical team at the hospital could give him what his body needed. We have never experienced the fragility of life like we did this last week, and we are so grateful that Dad was given more time on this earth!

He will continue to take vancomycin (the antibiotic) for 4 weeks, and we're hoping that his damaged colon will continue to heal.

SUNDAY UPDATE

We're happy with Dad's continued progress. He has been feeling good, and the numbers show it! They did decide to move Dad out of the critical care unit and down to the oncology floor. We were kind of bummed, because his floor and room is so much nicer than the oncology floor, but the nurses do tend to respond to empty fluid machine beeps a lot faster on the oncology floor. Hopefully, he'll only be there for a short time.

Dad does need to get some electrolytes tonight (phosphorus, magnesium, etc.). Other than that, he's weaning himself from all of the infusions. Hooray!

Jordon had to fly back to Salt Lake City tonight, and I had to drive back to Denver this morning. We have had some great support. My friend, Amber, drove back with me so that I didn't fall asleep on the way home. It was so nice. Because she came and left her family, her family received a meal and babysitting. It's so nice how the line of help and support has worked on our family's behalf. Again, my mom mentioned how blessed she feels at this time. There have been a lot of little miracles.

My parents will be alone until Chris arrives on Wednesday, but they feel like they have things under control. What a week!

BIG LEAPS

Yesterday, Dad's progress was little by little, but now we're seeing big leaps! Dad did so well today. He walked around his room and ate like a king. We're so happy for him and his progress. He has a more consistent smile on his face, too!

Dr. Jordan, his oncologist, visited the room today and gave Dad the full low-down. She said that his infection was one of the worst that she's seen and there will be no more chemotherapy. PET scans and CAT scans in the first part of November will tell us what the chemo has done and what we can expect in the future.

Dad still has some time in the hospital, but we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. He did receive platelets, magnesium, potassium, and sodium chloride last night, but today he was down to one tube and sodium chloride. He will be on his vancomycin for about 4 weeks, which is a long time for this medicine.

Thanks for all of your good wishes, prayers, and love. They have been a tremendous help in this process. We now know what the resurrection will be like!

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Dad is improving little by little. Some of his numbers improve by only a hundredth of a point at a time, but we'll take it! He is getting a constant infusion of potassium, magnesium, and sodium chloride. All of his electrolytes have been pretty out of whack, so it's still a process keeping him stable.

Dr. Wong (a seasoned infectious disease doctor) came in today and told us that the previous diagnosis was wrong (yep, that rhymes). :) He said that Dad does NOT have a fungal infection and that the pathologist who said so just wants attention (oh boy...). They immediately stopped Dad's anti-fungal meds and continued the antibiotics that fight c.diff. Dr. Wong says that the infection is c.diff and that it will take up to 6 weeks to fight it off. This has been brewing in Dad's system for about a month. We don't know when Dad might be able to come home, but it will be quite some time. They need to make sure that all of his levels are steady, consistent, and stable. We'll just take it a day at a time.

Dad was able to get up today and walk back and forth in his room. He now says he understands why the elderly have such poor balance! He is definitely weak, but he looks so much better.

He did receive platelets last night, but other than that, the transfusions are definitely at a snail's pace. Thank goodness. He's enjoying watching the baseball playoffs with Jordon and taking naps today.

Thanks again for all of the love and concern. It gives all of us strength!

More Progress

What a difference a day can make! Dad is feeling so much better. Jordon thinks he's magical! :) I'll attribute it to prayers and medical intervention, though! Dad has eaten a lot more today, and his blood counts and all other counts are looking better. He has color in his face and is awake much more. What a big sigh of relief! He went from being critically ill to stable in 3 days. We are so grateful!

His oncologist wants him to start trying to walk around in his room and sit in a chair tomorrow. She doesn't want him to get too weak (he's down to 160 pounds!). His platelets are still low, but because his bleeding is under control, they don't want to give him any more. We learned today that too many platelet transfusions can cause another set of problems, so we're glad that we don't need to worry about that for now.

We do know that it is a fungal infection in his colon, which is very rare. We don't know the details of the particular infection, but enough to know that he needs a strong anti-fungal medication. His oncologist said that the pathologists were "excited" about his case because it was so unique. The oncologist said that it's never a good sign when pathologists get excited about something! :) Thankfully, he seems to be responding to his anti-fungal medication and antibiotics.

We're feeling soooo relieved. Mom was comfortable enough to leave at 6:45 tonight to go make some beef stew. Dad has been asking about beef stew a lot. She'll get some sleep, too, and Jordon and I can be with Dad. Jordon will leave later tonight, and I'll be here again overnight.

We have really appreciated all of the messages, prayers, and concern. It is very comforting to know how much Dad is loved!

STILL WAITING

We still don't have the pathology report back from Dad's colon biopsy, but he does seem to be doing a little better this morning. He didn't need as much intervetion last night, so he got a lot of good sleep. I think that has made a big difference. He woke up at 6:00 this morning and said that he didn't have that groggy, still tired feeling like he usually does. He was able to eat some yogurt and granola, too.

His vitals all seem to be more stable and he didn't need any blood or platelets last night. The infectious disease doctor took him off of some antibiotics and changed to others that should work better against the c.diff infection. Hopefully, once these medications kick in, we'll start to see more and more progress.

He does look a little bit jaundiced, but the nurse said that it's just the chemotherapy at work and that he should be able to recover from that. We know from experience that the liver is an amzing organ!

Anyway, we're feeling more optimistic this morning and hoping to get answers regarding his biopsy soon! Jordon flew in this morning and is with mom at the hospital. I'm home now, heading to bed after my graveyard shift. We'll update as soon as we find out anything more, but I think that some prayers might be kicking in now! :)

A Few Updates

They have discovered that Dad has a fungus infection in his colon and they have him on a special anti-fungal medication, but they still don't know what other infection is involved. The pathology report from the biopsy still isn't back. Dad is sedated quite a bit and on a higher dose of anti-nausea medication.

Jordon flies in tomorrow and will be here until Sunday. Brooke flies in Saturday and will be here until Wednesday the 12th. Chris flies in Wednesday the 12th and will be here until Sunday the 16th, and I fly back Tuesday morning the 18th and will be here until Wednesday night. We'll see where Dad is at after a week, and we'll then figure out what we need to do after the 20th.

More Details

Now that I'm at a keyboard, I can type more. Dad had his colonoscopy yesterday at about 10:00 a.m. The doctors immediately discovered ulcers all over in his colon. This was the obvious culprit to Dad's bleeding and they were able to cauterize many of them. Because there were so many, they couldn't get them all. Hence, Dad is still bleeding, but not as heavily. He has received 7 units of blood, 2 or 3 units of platelets, and I believe 1 unit of plasma since he got into the hospital on Monday morning. For perspective, we only have about 15 units of blood in our system at a time. Rough times, for sure!

The doctors believe that the ulcers are being caused by either a viral infection called cytomegalovirus or a bacterial infection called c.diff (a shortened version of a long name). Dad already has c.diff, but they just don't know if that's what's causing the ulcers, too. They sent a biopsy from the colonoscopy to the pathology lab, and it should take about 3 days to get the results. In the meantime, they are keeping Dad stabilized with electrolytes, blood cells, antibiotics (for the c.diff and to prevent other infections), and zofran (for nausea).

As for Dad's spirits - He's very, very subdued and doesn't say much. He's totally conscious and aware of everything, but just not in a conversational kind of mood (I'm sure nobody would be). He's trying to rest, but it's tough when you're being poked every hour and have to get up every hour to pass blood. The hospital staff is doing a pretty good job of staying on top of his tests and medications. He had an awesome nurse the past two nights. That was a blessing, for sure!

Mom was able to go home last night and get some rest. I took the graveyard shift, and I'm now home getting ready for bed. :) Dad is in good hands in the Intermediary ICU, and we're hopeful that once they know exactly what's causing the ulcers, they'll be right on it. As for now, we're glad that he's on 24-hour surveillance and that he's stabilized. He can pull through this! I'll post something as soon as we know what is causing his ulcers.

ulcers

They performed a colonoscopy this morning and found lots of ulcers in his transverse colon.still waiting to find the cause and solution. It could take a few days to find out. We're hanging in there. He has had 5 units of blood and 2 units of platelets.

STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

Dad is spending the night in the hospital. He's still bleeding a lot and they're infusing his 3rd unit of blood right now. They are also prepping Dad to get a colonoscopy in the morning (I can't believe he has to drink all of that stuff right now...). He is definitely weak and they're not even allowing him to walk to the bathroom. Mom and Dad were very grateful to get a visit from some members of their old ward (Eastridge) and their new ward (Ladera) for a blessing. Mom said that the men offered a beautiful blessing that gave them a lot of comfort.

I'm going to drive down first thing in the morning and stay until Sunday. Brooklyn is going to try and come out on Saturday night.

We still don't have a clue why Dad is bleeding or where it is coming from, so we'll be very anxious to get the colonoscopy and get some answers.

Mom says that she can literally feel peoples' prayers, so thank you so much for that. We're definitely feeling fragile right now.

HOSPITAL PART ?

Dad is in the hospital this morning. He woke up at 5:30 this morning and passed a lot of blood. He was weak over the weekend, but he was trying to make it until his 9:30 appointment with the oncologist today. Mom called the onocologist's office right after Dad passed blood, and they immediately sent him to the ER. Dad is in the ER right now and all of his blood, white blood cell, and blood pressure numbers are very, very low. They are giving him a blood and fluid transfusion right now, and they're waiting to see what to do once he's a little more stabilized. They want to give him a colonoscopy, but they aren't supposed to do them when a patient is on antibiotics. We'll wait and see what they decide to do with that. They might send him up to the ICU soon, but we just don't know a whole lot right now. He has met with a cardiologist and many other specialists. Lucky enough, a good friend of ours from church is an ER doctor (Jim Wilkie), and he's working today, so we're grateful that he's there.

We need lots of prayers right now, that's for sure.

FRIDAY UPDATE

Dad had another appointment today with the oncologist. The results are becoming quite predictable these days! Dad needed another infusion of fluids before they sent him on his way. We're pretty sure that the nurses are convinced that Dad would rather get an I.V. than drink water! It seems to be easier these days. When I was with him on Wednesday, we worked hard at getting him to chug more water down, but it came back to haunt him. Thursday morning, he ended up throwing up all of the hard work from Wednesday! He was not in good shape yesterday, and Mom was getting a bit nervous. He took more zofran (anti-nausea medication) and felt much better once that kicked in. He's now going to take zofran a lot more regularly (we do know that if you wait until you feel nauseous, it's too late). Mom and Dad both think that he can only go up from here. It has been one rough week!

HOME

Dad made it home last night around 8:00. After completing his chemotherapy, they discovered that his potassium level was dangerously low, so Dad spent all of Tuesday getting potassium pumped into his system. He goes back to the oncologist this morning for his neulasta shot (to help his white blood cell count).

He does have an infection and he's antibiotics and probiotics, but he's definitely in a new state of isolation/protection. He had a sealed room at the hospital, and the nurses used a higher level of caution with their glove and robe-changing procedures. We're hoping that he can beat the infection and get more energy soon.

I'm here now and I stole a picture of what Dad's days are normally like. Mom said, "Why don't you just roll in the coffin, too, and take a picture of that!" I think that Dad looks good, even without eyebrows! :)



Update: When dad when in for his neulasta shot, his heart rate was up, but his blood pressure was down (a sign that he was dehydrated); so he got another infusion of saline. We hung out at the office for an additional hour while he got more fluids. That always makes Dad feel better, but he's still trying to increase his fluid intake. Dad has never been much of a drinker, so it's very difficult for him to drink at least 64 ounces a day.

This is definitely a tough time for Mom and Dad, and we hope that Dad can start to feel a little reprieve from his fatigue soon. Dad will visit the oncologist on Friday, Monday, and Thursday. We're grateful that they're keeping a close eye on things, but the battle is certainly rough. Dad has a plethora of medications that he's trying to keep track of, and it isn't easy sorting through what, when, and where he's supposed to take them. Mom has been a rock, and although Dad admits that he isn't the best patient, I think they do quite well.

BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS ROUND 3

Dad is completing his chemotherapy treatment of methyltrexate (spelling?) as I type. He still has about 3 other kinds of chemotherapy left until he can head home (probably not until Wednesday). During his routine blood draw this afternoon, they discovered that Dad's red blood cell count is low again; so he's getting 2 more units of blood tonight. Phew! This is something else! He's hanging in there, but he's definitely ready to just get this over with. He's amazing and strong, and he can do this!

HOSPITAL

Dad checked into the hospital first thing yesterday. They didn't have a bed available until 3:00 that afternoon. Dad ended up hanging out on another floor, just waiting for a room to open up. They did start him on some bicarbonate fluids to help his pH level get to the right level for his first chemotherapy treatment, but that was started quite late in the game, too. He finally got started on chemotherapy at 8:00 last night.

To say that I was frustrated is an understatement. It's so difficult to be patient when things like this just shouldn't happen. Mom and Dad are patient saints (although I think that Mom even needed to go outside, drink a Coke, and get some fresh air), but I was ready to hop on a plane and demand that Dad get started! (I'm sure I'd have a lot of pull. Ha! Ha!). It isn't fun being in the hospital, and to spend an entire day, just waiting, is definitely a drag.

The oncologist did visit Dad last night and asked a lot of questions about Dad's health. The oncologist concluded that Dad probably had a bowel infection and got him going on a probiotic prescription. It's supposedly not a big deal, and very common, but I think that it must have been a rough day for everybody. Hopefully, we'll have better luck now that chemotherapy has started. Thank heaven Dad has only one treatment left after this. I think Mom and Dad are hammered!

BLOOD = ENERGY

Dad received his blood transfusions today and was able to leave the hospital by about 2:30 this afternoon. He seemed to accept the blood well this time. He found out from the nurses today that his chills from the last transfusion were actually an indication of an allergic reaction to the blood. He was lucky that nothing terrible happened the last go-around, and they're becoming well-informed cancer fighters! Mom recognized Dad's nurse as the same nurse that helped her when she had colon surgery back in 2003. She can't claim chemo brain anymore!!

Dad is feeling much, much better. They're looking forward (well, not really) to Thursday's Rituxum treatment at the oncology clinic and Friday's check-in to the hospital for another 5-day round (schedule B) of chemotherapy.

MORE TRANSFUSIONS

Mom and Dad were excited that Dad mustered up enough energy to attend Maggie's baptism in California over the weekend. I was really nervous for him to go, but he wore his mask on the plane and tried to take it easy, getting plenty of naps in between events. They had a great time with Chris and Ellie's family and arrived back in Albuquerque last night.

Dad had another appointment with the oncologist today, and they discovered that his red blood cell count is at 2.7. That's low! Consequently, his blood pressure is extremely low, too. He's scheduled to get a blood transfusion with 2 units of blood first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you blood donors! Hopefully, this will help Dad be in a position to get his next round of chemotherapy starting on Thursday. We'll just have to see how things go.

Progress

Since the last entry, Dad has made great improvement! He had to visit the oncologist one more time for more fluids; but since then, he has improved dramatically! Yahoo! We love fluids and steroids!

Dad was able to go into work for a few hours yesterday, and he even went to dinner tonight with some friends of theirs who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary! We're so grateful for so many good friends!

Dad is ecstatic that he's feeling so great, and to top it off, another grandson was born today: Clee Daniel Roberts (named after both of his grandpas). Congratulations to Dane and Emily (and Eden, Zia, and Maris)!

more fluids

Dad had another follow-up appointment today. He was still low on fluids and needed to stay for a few hours and receive fluids. He's feeling better tonight and will recover for a few days before his next appointment on Monday. He did try to go for a walk this morning, and he was pretty beat by the end. He's up every hour at night, but luckily he can rest during the day, too. Hang in there, Dad!

Post-Chemotherapy Misery

Dad was discharged from the hospital around 3:00 p.m. yesterday. He was VERY ready to be home! He was completely wiped out and slept most of the day. He did have to get up frequently throughout the night, but at least he was in his own home.

Dad had a follow-up appointment at Hematology/Oncology to get his neulasta shot (to boost his white blood cell count), and while he was there it was determined that he isn't in good enough shape to go home. They are currently pumping his body with saline, anti-bacterial and anti-viral meds, steroids, you name it, he's probably getting it! The oncologist said that Dad will feel much better after getting these treatments. Dad's platelet count his finally starting to drop, and they'll be monitoring Dad closely over the next few days. We're guessing that he'll need another blood transfusion soon, once all of the chemo drugs do their thing, but for now, his blood levels are okay.

Hanging in There

Dad is in the middle of his chemotherapy treatments this weekend, and he's handling things well so far. His platelet count is still rising, but the doctors aren't too concerned. Dad's platelet count is around 1100 (normal is 150-400), but the doctor said he won't do much more unless Dad's count approaches 1500. The chemotherapy should start to kill off platelets at some point, so we'll see where he's at before he leaves the hospital on Tuesday. Dad is stable and feeling much better than he did earlier this week and last week.

Jordon, me, and the kids are here for the long weekend, and it's great being together. Jordon and Dad watched about 4 college footballs games yeserday, complete with the big, yellow popcorn bowls! Maybe college football will get Dad through this!

Round 3, already?

What a rough week! Dad did go in to work this week, and when his Albuquerque oncologist found out, she was not pleased at all. She told Dad that he is on THE WORST chemotherapy regimen out there, and that he needs to be soooo careful. She advised him to stay away from work for a while. Dad still has 3 rounds of treatment, and his body has already taken a beating. He is still weak, but he's much stronger than last week. When he went to the oncologist yesterday he was so dehydrated that they had to give him a saline treatment. His platelet count is extremely high. Normal range is 150-400. Dad's platelets were at 884 on Wednesday. The doctors are confounded. They're doing research and trying to figure out what this means. His platelets were in the 700's in Houston.

He will get his Rituxumab at Hematology-Oncology on Thursday, and he'll enter the hospital on Friday to start the 2nd round of schedule A, R-HyperCVAD (round 3 out of a total of 5 needed). I think that we know now how things roll, and Mom and Dad are prepared for more transfusions and major fatigue.

ROUGH RECOVERY

Mom and Dad got home from Houston on Wendesday morning. Dad's energy level has been extremely low, and he has spent most of the last few days on the couch. He definitely wasn't in any condition to go to work, and we're just hoping that he can get his energy level up enough to start his next round of chemotherapy over Labor Day weekend.

I forgot to note that the oncologist in Houston felt like the chemotherapy needed to be scaled back in intensity, so they are going to reduce his chemotherapy levels by 20%. Hopefully, that will prevent Dad from being so wiped out/knocked out after his treatments.

I think that Dad's battle is officially in "high gear." We're praying that Dad can stay strong for his next 3 treatments.

Houston

Mom and Dad spent their last day in Houston today after a series of tests and appointments. Mom said that it felt very, very strange to be sitting next to Dad, both of them wearing hospital bracelets. I'm sure it was quite the bonding moment!

Anyway, Mom's test came up clear; but she only had an MRI on her thyroid and some blood tests (I believe). Her thyroid has been enlarged for some time, but today it was looking much smaller and normal. Good news. She isn't scheduled for any major scans until her next follow-up appointment in a few months.

Dad received good news and bad news. The good news: The oncologist was very impressed with how well Dad has responded to his chemotherapy. His tumors are shrinking considerably, and things look good. Because Dad is responding so well, they're actually going to reduce his treatments to 5, instead of 6! Yeehaw! If all stays on schedule, Dad will finish his treatments in October, instead of November! The bad news: Dad's blood and platelet counts were so low (anything under 10,000 requires a transfusion, and Dad was at 7,000) that they immediately sent him to get a transfusion. He got 2 units of blood tonight and one round of platelets. He was wearing a mask during our conversation (hopefully I heard all of this correctly through his muffled voice). All of this means that Dad's energy and immunities are VERY, VERY, VERY low. He was glad to know why he has been so lethargic over the last few days. Hopefully, his transfusion helps. Yay for blood donors!!! He also had what appeared to be a small infection in his lungs, so he was put on antibiotics for an additional week.

Mom and Dad had originally planned to fly out of Houston tonight, but because of Dad's little snag, they'll stay the night in Houston, then fly home tomorrow (wearing a mask, of course!).

OUT!

Dad checked out around noon. Yay! He went straight to Hematology/Oncology Associates and got a neulasta shot (to boost his white blood cell count), then went into work. Yes, he went straight from the hospital to work. He had to conduct 2 interviews. Mom is staying in the parking lot at his office and forcing him to come home right after his interviews. With his white blood cell count low, we don't want him exposed to ANYTHING!

They're going to Houston on Monday. I think that Mom and Dad both have appointments this time. Isn't that romantic? :)

ENOUGH!

Dad is STILL IN THE HOSPITAL (and he's not happy about it)! As of 10:00 this morning he was still there, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that he'll be out by this afternoon. This treatment has been an ordeal, and Dad is so ready to be home! This was supposed to be a 3-day treatment, but it turned into 6. Not fun at all. Dad has responded well to his treatments, but the slowness of everything held his release date back. The time it has taken to transition from one treatment to the next has been lagging, and the time it has taken his blood test results to come back has lagged. The process has been agonizing, and Dad is frustrated. Being a process and procedures guy his whole life, Dad is in shock at the system in place at the hospital. He has talked about loop systems and checks and efficiency a lot over the last few days. He should be a consultant for hospitals, I tell you! :)

As far as his health is concerned - Dad has been queasy and lacked an appetite, but he's still doing well. One reason why they wouldn't let him go home yesterday was because the blood tests indicated an abnormally fast progression in some of the numbers that indicate when a patient can go home. Essentially, Dad was looking TOO good!

We're hopeful that he'll be discharged as soon as the lead doctor does his/her rounds this afternoon. If not, Dad just might walk out... :)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dad is doing great so far. He is taking the chemo well, without any complications. He was supposed to check out on Sunday, but due to some "laid back" care and a few details that Mom and Dad were unaware of, he will most likely be in the hospital until Tuesday. Fun. Fun.

We were lucky to spend the day with Dad on his birthday. We made it a day free from hospital food! He got to eat a breakfast burrito from Twisters (some of the best burritos in Albuquerque), Chillz frozen custard, and Outback Steakhouse for dinner. It was his last meal before he loses his sense of taste and everything tastes like metal. He was already starting to feel his body and taste buds changing within an hour of finishing his dinner. Phew!

The kids were allowed in the room!

Thank Goodness for Mom

We're so grateful that Mom and Dad have each other. Mom caught a major error at the hospital that, if continued, would have really mixed up his treatment and outcome. Luckily, the only issue now is that Dad will need to spend an extra day in the hospital. Mom and Dad really learned how to be advocates for each other during Mom's cancer, and they now do a good job of monitoring their treatment. Dad is back on track, and we're pretty confident that the nursing staff will be more alert now.

Hospital Round 2

The time has come, once again, for Dad to get another round of chemotherapy. This time, he'll be at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque for 4 or 5 days. He checks in tomorrow morning for Hyper-CVAD course B. We have heard rumors that course B is more intense than course A, but we'll remain hopeful that Dad handles everything well.

Dad has definitely been weaker (in Mom's words), but he has managed to work full-time for the last 3 weeks as he recovered from his first hospital round of chemo. KC and I get to visit Albuquerque this weekend to celebrate Dad's 62nd birthday! Woohoo! There's nothing like a party in a hospital room! Unfortunately, kids aren't allowed to visit, but Isaac and Eliza will at least get to celebrate in the same town.

Overdue Update

Dad has been recovering from his last round of chemo and is doing well. He still manages to put in a full day of work every day. He did have another chemo treatment on Monday as part of the whole regimen, but he seems to be handling things like a champ. He has been cautioned to be extra careful with exposure to germs because his immune system is definitely going to be increasingly compromised as treatment continues, but so far, so good. He celebrates his birthday on Saturday. Happy pre-birthday, Dad! We love you!

Not in the Brain

The last of Dad's appointments are over, and luckily, the last one was a good one. Cancer is not in his brain, and they're very confident of that! Phew!

Dad has had a rough last two days with nausea, throwing up a little, and being up frequently throughout the night. It's to be expected at this stage in the game, but as the chemotherapy slowly dissipates, he should feel better and better.

Checked Out

Dad checked out of the hospital yesterday afternoon after a great stay. They took great care of him, and he was surprised at how good he felt in the hospital. Today was a bit rough as he adjusted to all of the chemicals in his system, but he made it through without too many troubles. He had a neulasta shot this morning to help keep his white blood cell count high, and he's now in the 3-week recovery phase.

Mom and Dad will have their appointment with the neurologist tomorrow, and they'll fly back to Albuquerque that night. We're grateful to check one more treatment off the list. One day at a time...

Still Cruising Along

Dad is still tolerating his chemo quite well. He's hooked up to all kinds of bags, but Mom and Dad both say that being on drugs, watching TV, and getting free food delivery all day isn't that bad! :) They're very excited that his treatment and care has gone so well so far. He's on track to be released on Sunday, followed by a neulasta shot on Monday. On Tuesday, he has his appointment with the neurologist to go over test results. He should then be free to head home Tuesday night.

First Night

Dad made it through his first night! He did well and only had a slight reaction to the treatment. The nurses were on top of it and solved the issue immediately. He is getting little naps in here and there, but is sleeping as well as he can given that he's in a hospital. Mom said that Dad's accomodations are excellent, and he's lucky to be on a brand new floor at the hospital.

I found a link that better describes Dad's treatment and what side effects to expect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCVAD

It's definitely an intense treatment, and Dad will have to be extremely careful who and what he's exposed to, but so far, so good!

Dad's Houston Experience

Mom and Dad have been in Houston since Sunday night. Dad had more testing earlier this week, and they had a few answers this afternoon. They're still waiting for a few more answers. They did confirm that the cancer is in his bones. The preliminary results of his spinal tap show that they don't see anything wrong in his spinal fluid (phew!), but they're still waiting for the results from his brain scan. They did see a questionable spot on his brain, but they aren't coming to any conclusions at all until the neurologist can do a full analysis. The brain scan results won't be available until Tuesday.

Because the doctor didn't see anything to steer him in a different direction with treatment, they decided to admit him to the hospital tonight to start his 5-day chemotherapy regimen (his new chemotherapy treatment is called hyper-CVAD). He'll be given a new round every 12 hours for the next 5 days. This will be treatment "A" of a rotating A or B chemotherapy regimen. In 3 weeks, he'll have regimen "B" in Albuquerque. He'll receive a CAT scan in Houston after the first A & B regimens are complete to see how his body is responding and continue or tweak his treatment based on these results.

My awesome friend, Angie, is watching out for them at MD Anderson; and we're also grateful that Dane and Emily are close. What blessings they are! Dad sounds great, feels good, and seems to be in good spirits. I'll post a new message when we get a feel for how he's going to respond to his new treatment.

Week 3 Update

Dad was scheduled to have his 2nd round of chemo treatments today and tomorrow, but he's had a change of plans. He is flying to Houston on Sunday to finish up the tests (neurological tests). After finishing his tests on Wednesday, he will most likely start his first 5-day chemo treatment in Houston. The new chemotherapy regimen will require a 5-day stay in the hospital every time he receives the treatment (yuck). The frequency will still be every 3 weeks. It is a more aggressive form of chemotherapy, but with that comes a better outcome with most patients. We'll know more on Wednesday what will happen, but he'll probably be in Houston for about 9 days. We're so glad that Dane and Emily are there!

Dad is feeling good and getting more energy each day. His hair (yes, he does still have some) is really starting to fall out, but he looks great. KC and I are here for the weekend, and Brooklyn and her girls just left on Tuesday after spending a week with them. Life is good!

MD Andersen

Dad completed his first day of a two-day visit to MD Andersen Cancer Center in Houston. The lymphoma specialist there shared new insight and wants to do further testing. Apparently, Dad's 2nd cancer (the aggressive one) is more aggressive than previously thought. Because of that, the doctor in Houston recommends a more aggressive form of chemotherapy (not R-CHOP). The doctor also plans on doing a spinal tap and other tests to determine what kind of neurological effects the cancer has had on Dad (if any). Apparently there are some vision symptoms going on, and often that's related to neurological involvement of the cancer. Because MD Andersen wants to do a more thorough assessment of Dad's cancer, they are going to perform multiple tests tomorrow. They will then schedule a time for Dad to return in a week or two to complete the assessment and come up with a game plan. Mom and Dad are, once again, relieved that they made the trek out to Houston and feel like they're in the right place. We are so grateful for the support that they have down there with Dane and Emily. We are also grateful for caring, intelligent doctors who are taking care of Dad.

YAY FOR TOLERATION!

Dad had 4 more hours of chemo treatments on Friday, and luckily, his body handled it well. He is feeling really good this weekend, and he and Mom have been able to run errands and make some visits with friends. They're so grateful that Dad isn't in bed. He will return to work on Monday, then they'll head to Houston mid-week to seek a second opinion. They'll skip up to Utah after their Houston trip to look at homes in the Salt Lake City area. Hopefully, the next 3 weeks will be fairly slick, given that Dad already feels so good.

Day One Continued

Dad started his chemo treatment first thing this morning, and he ended up being the last patient to leave. A few hours into treatment, he had an allergic reaction to the rituximab. They had to stop treatment and give him oxygen. Once the reaction dissipated, they started treatment again at a much slower intake rate. He put in a full 8-hour day of chemo treatment, and he gets to go back tomorrow and do it all over again.

Chemo Day One

In order to keep all of us current on Dad's cancer treatments and condition, I've started this blog. I'll try to update it at least weekly.

As most of you know, Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma at the end of May. Specifically, it was diagnosed as indolent B-cell lymphoma that originated in his bone marrow. It transformed into an aggressive form of B-cell and follicular lymphoma once it travelled to his lymph nodes and other body organs. Other than being winded during his 6 to 8-mile runs, he has been healthy and strong. He felt a lump in his neck back in February, but waited to see if it would dissipate. When it didn't, and after getting an intense case of laryngitis, he called the doctor. That was in April. They couldn't fit him in until May, and that's when they discovered other lumps in his body, performed an x-ray, and found it in his chest cavity.

The next several weeks consisted of biopsies and tests to determine the specific cancer and extent of spread.

Dad started his first chemotherapy treatment today. He will be in the chemo chair for 6 hours while they administer rituximab. He'll go in tomorrow to receive the 4 other chemotherapy drugs. After this treatment, he'll travel to MD Andersen Cancer Center in Houston to get a second opinion. Based on their advice, he'll either stay on the same regimen or alter it based on new information from MD Andersen. Until we hear otherwise, he'll receive chemotherapy treatments every 3 weeks for 24 weeks.

Mom and Dad are grateful for all of the support and are also grateful to have each other. Mom can truly sympathize with every single thing that Dad is going through. Hang in there and be strong. We love you!