Spoke with Mom about two hours ago, and they finally got Dad in for a CT scan late this morning. They got the results back and it showed significant swelling on Dad's brain, which explains the odd behaviour and major lack of energy he's had the last week or so. It also explains the dizzy spells he was having last night, and so they have now increased his steroid pills from 2 up to 4 a day. When I talked to Mom, Dad was just finishing up some lunch and then Jesse was going to be picking them up and bringing them home, so they should be there by now. I'm sure they are both resting this afternoon, as they both had a very short night of sleep last night.
Thank you all so much for your prayers! It was too early to tell anything else on the CT scan as far as how the tumor has responded to treatments, so we still have to wait another few weeks for the MRI to find out anything more. Here's hoping that the steroid pills help Dad regain some energy and that we have an uneventful couple of weeks while we wait for the MRI!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Another Trip to the ER
Just wanted to let everyone know that Dad is at the hospital again. He was having some balance issues last night - getting dizzy and even falling down once. He had three episodes at home last night while getting ready for bed, so Mom called the on-call oncologist and they said to bring him in to the ER. He had another episode at the hospital, so they put him in a wheelchair and then they had to wait for a room to open up. Janis was with Mom and Dad and they sat in the ER waiting room until 5 am this morning. Janis came to our place (Jared and Dana's) to get some sleep once Mom and Dad were settled in and Mom and Dad were able to sleep for a few hours in the room. I just talked to Mom a few minutes ago, and the doctor was finally able to come in and see Dad. They are going to start him on an IV and get him some breakfast and then they want to do a CT scan to check on the swelling on his brain.
He had been in for bloodwork on Wednesday to check his levels, as they had upped the steroid pill earlier in the week. He seemed to be doing a bit better since they increased the pill to two a day, but it would appear now that there may still be significant amounts of swelling on his brain. Mom's going to call once they get the results of the CT scan (which will likely be in a few hours), so I'll post more once I get some more info. Until then, please keep on praying!
Sincerely,
Dana
He had been in for bloodwork on Wednesday to check his levels, as they had upped the steroid pill earlier in the week. He seemed to be doing a bit better since they increased the pill to two a day, but it would appear now that there may still be significant amounts of swelling on his brain. Mom's going to call once they get the results of the CT scan (which will likely be in a few hours), so I'll post more once I get some more info. Until then, please keep on praying!
Sincerely,
Dana
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's All About Balance
Jared and I have used this phrase a lot, lately: "It's all about balance." Balancing school, kids, homework, time with family. The more I think about it, the more I realize that life itself is all about balance. And this is ringing very true for Dad as he goes through this gravel road journey as well. The difficulty right now is in finding the right balance of medication. I just spoke with Mom on the phone a few minutes ago and they are once again going to be increasing Dad's steroid pills back up to two pills a day. He's been a bit confused and having a hard time processing things this past week. And he's also been having headaches again. The symptoms point to swelling on the brain, so once again, the steroids need to be increased. Dad will have blook work on Wednesday next week so that they can check the levels and make sure everything is balanced once again.
The increased swelling also means that there is an increased risk of more seizures. Mom and Dad had been planning a trip to Iowa to visit Mom's family next weekend, but unfortunately because of how Dad has been feeling these last few days, they have revoked approval for the trip. Mom's parents aren't able to travel up here to visit due to their own health concerns, so even though it's best for Dad's health to stay close to home, I know that Mom was really looking forward to seeing her parents. We're not sure what this will mean for our possible family vacation, either. We won't be able to make the decision to go anywhere one way or the other until we have the results back from the MRI. So for now, we continue to wait, and continue to try to find the balance of living our lives and just sitting around waiting for news. It's hard to find that balance sometimes, and we ask for your continued prayers as we try to achieve this.
The increased swelling also means that there is an increased risk of more seizures. Mom and Dad had been planning a trip to Iowa to visit Mom's family next weekend, but unfortunately because of how Dad has been feeling these last few days, they have revoked approval for the trip. Mom's parents aren't able to travel up here to visit due to their own health concerns, so even though it's best for Dad's health to stay close to home, I know that Mom was really looking forward to seeing her parents. We're not sure what this will mean for our possible family vacation, either. We won't be able to make the decision to go anywhere one way or the other until we have the results back from the MRI. So for now, we continue to wait, and continue to try to find the balance of living our lives and just sitting around waiting for news. It's hard to find that balance sometimes, and we ask for your continued prayers as we try to achieve this.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
It's Finally Happened!
Well, it finally started happening this past week. Dad is losing his hair. I think Mom said it started on Thursday, and by Monday, when we celebrated Thanksgiving together at our place, Dad had a very large bald spot on the top of his head, and a smaller one on the right side. Both are from the radiation treatments, and we have been told that Dad will have permanent hair loss in these places. The rest of his hair is still in tact, though, so I think Dad's plan for now is to buy a hat of some sort so that he can keep the ponytail.
And today marks the last day of the radiation and chemo treatments! The next step is another MRI to see how well the tumor has responded to the 'cocktail' of drugs that Dad has been taking these last few weeks. It will be sometime in the next 4-6 weeks. Mom and Dad have heard it could be the week of November 10th, but they don't have a confirmed date yet. So at this point, it is a waiting game. Thankfully Dad is still feeling quite well, other than a decreased energy level. We've been talking about a family vacation together but are still deciding on a location and when will be the best time to go. Unfortunately, flights are very expensive, but travelling long distances with a toddler and a baby is never much fun, so we're still debating which will be the best course of action. But it is something fun that we can do together that we're all very much looking forward to.
And as always, I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support throughout this time. We appreciate it more than words can say, and we ask that you continue to support us in prayer as we await this next MRI and whatever the results may tell us.
And today marks the last day of the radiation and chemo treatments! The next step is another MRI to see how well the tumor has responded to the 'cocktail' of drugs that Dad has been taking these last few weeks. It will be sometime in the next 4-6 weeks. Mom and Dad have heard it could be the week of November 10th, but they don't have a confirmed date yet. So at this point, it is a waiting game. Thankfully Dad is still feeling quite well, other than a decreased energy level. We've been talking about a family vacation together but are still deciding on a location and when will be the best time to go. Unfortunately, flights are very expensive, but travelling long distances with a toddler and a baby is never much fun, so we're still debating which will be the best course of action. But it is something fun that we can do together that we're all very much looking forward to.
And as always, I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support throughout this time. We appreciate it more than words can say, and we ask that you continue to support us in prayer as we await this next MRI and whatever the results may tell us.
Friday, October 3, 2008
A Message from Gerald
Hello again! Just received this email from Dad and he has asked me to post on his behalf:
We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we went to church as a family this past Sunday morning. I was quite sure that I would be overcome by emotion and wouldn't be able to sing - turns out I was wrong...
On Wednesday night, Celebr8 had our first scheduled rehearsal since last spring. Singing songs like "Fly Away" and "When the Kingdom Comes" brought joy and strength to all of us in the circle. As much as everything has changed, it seems equally significant to experience, and celebrate, moments of normalcy.
Part of that normalcy is adjusting to new priorities and family activities; daily treatments at Cancer Care, the daily regimen of medication, intentional family times to ask every family member, "So, how are you doing?" It can be a challenge and often times difficult to determine the correct answer to that question.
The image I've used is that life seems as if it's being lived out in a little rubber dingy in a very large ocean. It's often difficult to determine if the dingy is riding the crest of the wave or if it is plummeting into the trough of the next wave.
Oddly enough, I believe that mostly I am riding on the crest of a wave and then, occasionally I realize that I have slipped into a Jonah-like valley of darkness and despair.
The words of Isaiah 41:10 continue to challenge me:
We have been overwhelmed by the many ways we have experienced love and suport from family and friends: hugs, cards, food, rides, telephone chats, visits, gift cards, etc.
Finally, and (I knew it was coming), I had to surrender my driver's license yesterday due to the full body seizures I experienced on September 12th. Being a passenger for the next year (especially during winter) may be a bit of a challenge for both Arlis and myself...apparenly I need to learn to bit my tongue before speaking!
Shalom and "sterkte" to all,
Gerald
We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we went to church as a family this past Sunday morning. I was quite sure that I would be overcome by emotion and wouldn't be able to sing - turns out I was wrong...
On Wednesday night, Celebr8 had our first scheduled rehearsal since last spring. Singing songs like "Fly Away" and "When the Kingdom Comes" brought joy and strength to all of us in the circle. As much as everything has changed, it seems equally significant to experience, and celebrate, moments of normalcy.
Part of that normalcy is adjusting to new priorities and family activities; daily treatments at Cancer Care, the daily regimen of medication, intentional family times to ask every family member, "So, how are you doing?" It can be a challenge and often times difficult to determine the correct answer to that question.
The image I've used is that life seems as if it's being lived out in a little rubber dingy in a very large ocean. It's often difficult to determine if the dingy is riding the crest of the wave or if it is plummeting into the trough of the next wave.
Oddly enough, I believe that mostly I am riding on the crest of a wave and then, occasionally I realize that I have slipped into a Jonah-like valley of darkness and despair.
The words of Isaiah 41:10 continue to challenge me:
"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
We have been overwhelmed by the many ways we have experienced love and suport from family and friends: hugs, cards, food, rides, telephone chats, visits, gift cards, etc.
Finally, and (I knew it was coming), I had to surrender my driver's license yesterday due to the full body seizures I experienced on September 12th. Being a passenger for the next year (especially during winter) may be a bit of a challenge for both Arlis and myself...apparenly I need to learn to bit my tongue before speaking!
Shalom and "sterkte" to all,
Gerald
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Sorry it's been so long!
Hello again, everyone!
I apologize for not updating sooner. It's been a busy week in our household and I haven't had much time on the computer at all. However, there haven't been too many changes over the last week or so, which is definitely good news.
Dad is now about half way through his treatment schedule. He's been going for radiation every Monday to Friday and has also been taking the oral chemotherapy 7 days a week, so we're nearing the end of Week 2. The first few radiation treatments took about half an hour, as everything needed to be explained, but now that Dad has been going for this long, he's only in the room about 10 or 15 minutes. Family has been able to go along and watch and Jared and I were there on Wednesday. It was a very cool experience. Dad lays down on a table and they place the 'helmet' over his face. It's clamped down onto the table and they line up the helmet using laser beams from the ceiling. Then everyone leaves the room and Dad is "zapped" three times for a couple minutes each time. The machine that emits the radiation is a lot larger than we thought it would be, and it rotates around whatever part of your body is being treated (in Dad's case, his head.) The table on the floor also rotates to accomodate whatever angle the treatment is coming from. It's very neat. There are computer moniters just outside the room and that's where visitors get to watch. If Dad needs out of the helmet at any time, all he has to do is wave a hand and they will come unlatch him. I asked him if he feels anything while the treatments are happening, and the only thing that he feels is a bit of pressure from the helmet on his face. Anyone who has clautrophobia would NOT like this sort of thing! You can also hear a whirring sound in the background while the radiation is happening, but besides that, it's a very quick and painless procedure.
Dad has also had some adjustments made to his medications in the last week. He had been on three steroid pills a day and three anti-seizure pills a day. However, he was having some slight tremors on his right side, and so they lowered the steriods to two a day and upped the anti-seizure medication to 4 pills a day. He goes for blood work at least once a week to check on how all the medications are working together and to make sure everything is staying balanced, and on Wednesday Dad mentioned that they had lowered the steriods down to one and a half pills a day. It seems like it's a bit of a fine art trying to balance out all the different levels of drugs that he's on, but thankfully there are very skilled people at HSC to take care of all that! And Mom has been doing an amazing job of keeping track of all of Dad's pills and which ones need to be taken with food, which ones without food, etc. etc.
Physically Dad is still doing really well. He still gets tired easily, but I don't think he has many complaints beyond that. No sign of any hair loss yet that we've heard of, so all in all, I think he's faring pretty well. Now it's just a waiting game until treatments are done and Dad has another MRI to see how well the tumor has responded to all of these drugs!!!
And finally, because my description won't do it justice, here are a few pictures from Dad's treament on Wednesday.
The computer screens that we watched on. The door to the room is to the right of these moniters and Dad is essentially on the other side of the wall behind the screens.
A view from inside the room.
The helmet! Jared said it reminded him of Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.
I apologize for not updating sooner. It's been a busy week in our household and I haven't had much time on the computer at all. However, there haven't been too many changes over the last week or so, which is definitely good news.
Dad is now about half way through his treatment schedule. He's been going for radiation every Monday to Friday and has also been taking the oral chemotherapy 7 days a week, so we're nearing the end of Week 2. The first few radiation treatments took about half an hour, as everything needed to be explained, but now that Dad has been going for this long, he's only in the room about 10 or 15 minutes. Family has been able to go along and watch and Jared and I were there on Wednesday. It was a very cool experience. Dad lays down on a table and they place the 'helmet' over his face. It's clamped down onto the table and they line up the helmet using laser beams from the ceiling. Then everyone leaves the room and Dad is "zapped" three times for a couple minutes each time. The machine that emits the radiation is a lot larger than we thought it would be, and it rotates around whatever part of your body is being treated (in Dad's case, his head.) The table on the floor also rotates to accomodate whatever angle the treatment is coming from. It's very neat. There are computer moniters just outside the room and that's where visitors get to watch. If Dad needs out of the helmet at any time, all he has to do is wave a hand and they will come unlatch him. I asked him if he feels anything while the treatments are happening, and the only thing that he feels is a bit of pressure from the helmet on his face. Anyone who has clautrophobia would NOT like this sort of thing! You can also hear a whirring sound in the background while the radiation is happening, but besides that, it's a very quick and painless procedure.
Dad has also had some adjustments made to his medications in the last week. He had been on three steroid pills a day and three anti-seizure pills a day. However, he was having some slight tremors on his right side, and so they lowered the steriods to two a day and upped the anti-seizure medication to 4 pills a day. He goes for blood work at least once a week to check on how all the medications are working together and to make sure everything is staying balanced, and on Wednesday Dad mentioned that they had lowered the steriods down to one and a half pills a day. It seems like it's a bit of a fine art trying to balance out all the different levels of drugs that he's on, but thankfully there are very skilled people at HSC to take care of all that! And Mom has been doing an amazing job of keeping track of all of Dad's pills and which ones need to be taken with food, which ones without food, etc. etc.
Physically Dad is still doing really well. He still gets tired easily, but I don't think he has many complaints beyond that. No sign of any hair loss yet that we've heard of, so all in all, I think he's faring pretty well. Now it's just a waiting game until treatments are done and Dad has another MRI to see how well the tumor has responded to all of these drugs!!!
And finally, because my description won't do it justice, here are a few pictures from Dad's treament on Wednesday.
The computer screens that we watched on. The door to the room is to the right of these moniters and Dad is essentially on the other side of the wall behind the screens.
A view from inside the room.
The helmet! Jared said it reminded him of Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.
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