OLD UPDATES

Friday, March 27, 2009, 9:25 PM

Okay, JR had the surgery for feeding tube -- neither of us are liking this tube thing (more like a small water hose) AND the Houston oncologist calls this afternoon and says he doesn't agree w/ JR's treatment via the records, scans, etc. sent to him soooooo we are seeing him in Houston April 2 at 9:15. If Jr had this feeding tube put in for nothing ..... well, I'm trying to think of something nice to say. Nope, can't think of anything nice to say about it. The nurse told JR he could stick it in his underwear to keep it from flopping around, but that doesn't work unless you wear them up under your arm pits! We tried taping it to his chest, but he WAS so hairy that didn't work. Brought in the weed-wacker and now the tape will hold it - kinda. I can tell you from personal experience what happens if you forget to clamp it before you put liquids in it -- and, it isn't pretty! Also, what goes in a stomach via feeding tube can come back out if you forget to lock clamp!

They did my scope (upper) and did send off for a biopsy. So next wk we should learn if we are going to take chemo together. At least I like cheese a lot!
Hopefully nothing more to report till next wk.
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Monday, March 23, 2009, 4:27 PM

Okay, I know it has been a while and the phone line has been kept hot this weekend and today w/ people wanting to know what is going on so ...
we have the feeding tube surgery scheduled, an appt. w/ a Houston specialist the first wk in April depending on radiation and the radiation programming is proceeding w/ a little extra added on since the cancer is in lymph nodes. One chemo side-affect that JR is having is acne like a teen-ager w/ bumps over his face and trunk area. He is very sensitive to sun and heat and his face looks like he has a very bad sunburn. The bumps are also in his scalp. But his appetite is great. As soon as I finish cleaning up from one meal he is wanting to eat again, and the things he wants remind me of a pregnant woman: stuffed pheasant, salmon patties, Oysters Rock. -- all kinds of things that I don't usually cook and don't have up here on the mnt. BUT he has been told to gain as much weight as possible so I think he is going to be successful in that effort. JR is still doing great in spirit and humor; physically and emotionally - well, you get the idea!

Chemo is tomorrow. I dread all the moaning and groaning! Mine, not JR's. And it is too bad that some people have such a warped sense of humor that they think it is funny when I turn white and ask for a stretcher when they show their "ports" (artificial holes put in place for when their veins get burned up) or pop their tubing corks or pump liquids through their feeding tubes -- all in sight of everybody. People are constantly exposing private parts - and by that I mean a body part w/ blood or some kind of fluids coming out of it in an unnatural way that I'd as soon not see! These chemo patients have such strength to go through what they do, and I soooo don't want to throw up in a lap or land in a dead faint on IV tubing.
Thank you again for your prayers, cards and concern! They are gratefully accepted and appreciated -- more than you know unless you've had cancer or had a loved one w/ it. We hope and pray your life is filled w/ good health and many blessings.
Grace & peace.
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Monday, March 9, 2009, 11:08 PM

Spent first half day in dentist. W/ mouth / throat radiation you have to have all cracks / fixed so they are refilling old teeth and redoing crowns. Can't do any dental during or shortly after radiation.

We were at Radiation clinic till 5:30. That was a downer because the doc insists Jr needs a feeding tube and went on and on about it being such a big cancer on his wind pipe; future fried throat; and so on -- you'd think this was a world record cancer the way he talked!

Tomorrow is chemo all day w/ surgeon on standby in case his throat closes or something and he'll have his own nurse not to leave him all day. I'm staying w/ him too. The chemo is some kind of experimental stuff w/ rat parts in it -- which freaks me out, but Jr is okay w/ it! Jr said he's going to get up from there at the end of the 6 hr session, run around the office in circles and then ask for cheese! (They SAY it is hamster dna, but that's still a rat!)

He watched two Rambo movies to get psyched up for fighting the cancer. He's always been tough and can take pain very well, but grandkids have softened him up so ... after watching First Blood he was ready to do his own cancer surgery, w/ his hunting knife - no sedative. But I finally convinced him to wait for the doctors -- since we've got to pay them anyway.
(This last para. is partly fictionized. The rest is gospel.)

Well, that's all I know today. Tomorrow will be a week since we first heard the "cancer" word in regard to my special husband - seems much longer.
Grace & peace,
e
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(Unsure of dates for the following two posts.)

Announcement of cancer --

We were supposed to get the biopsy back on Jr Thurs. but the doctor called this evening. He said the results came back positive for cancer, and it is high priority so they have him set up tomorrow at 11:45 in Lowell for an MRI and another scan on his head and neck.

That's all I know.
We will appreciate your prayers.
Elaine
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Yesterday didn't go well w/ chemo. The kind w/ rat parts (one doc said it was mice protein and a nurse said it was hamster dna) gave him an allergic reaction and they had to stop chemo. Since he needs it fast and bad that was not good altho I didn't blame his body for rejecting it. But he needs it so ...

Today he took all 900 ml or cm of the rat part chemo!!!!!!!! That was answered prayer!

Tomorrow they fit him w/ the radiation helmet and began programming for the radiation. Since he has cancer in vocal cords through windpipe and lymph nodes, they will be shooting him from diff directions and the computer does it all so they said it takes hours and hours to program it correctly. And we want it to go to the right places! This is a good thing that treatment is started.

It looks like he will get a feeding tube in his stomach. We'd prefer a miracle.
There are just too many emails and phone calls to respond to right now, but we are so grateful for all the love, concern and prayers! Words can't express! You prayer warriors, you know what to do and thank you for doing it. We feel it!