Jerry has managed to go thru 2 treatments of the special Chemo cocktail and will resume Radiation on Monday.
The weekend has been pretty good for him. His color has improved ten-fold; his jaundice has all but disappeared. He has started to rest more comfortably since Friday evening as well - managing to sleep during the day and thru most of the nights. They did tell us that the Chemo cocktail they started him on will make him tired .. so we expected this.
His vitals have remained stable as well after a Saturday morning where his Oxygen levels were dangerously low. They have since put a tube in his nose to pump Oxygen into his system and help him breathe. Blood sugars are a bit low, but rising every hour. His liver count is continuing to decrease (woo hoo.. special dance) and his blood pressure looks strong.
The new chemo treatements have shown some of the side effects the doctor said may show such as blood in the urine and fluid in his belly - however, the fluid in the belly is not enough to worry about and the blood in the urine (which shows itself almost immediately after his treatment and then tapers off after a few hours. The doctors are not concerned about these but are monitoring them closely.
They did take him off of the nutrition IV as his system was not digesting it. They upped his fluids instead to replace the nutrition he is no longer receiving.
We talked to the docter on scene yesterday, who had also talked to his Oncologist (Dr. Williamson) - neither were thrilled with the lack of progress after 24 hours of the Chemo cocktail. They had hoped that the treatement would immediately start to break down the tumor in the liver "lyrosis" I believe is what they called it - where the tumor starts to break down and is digested back into the body.
He also told us that Jerry is basically breathing on one lung at the moment. This came as a shock as we didn't realize he had progressed that far. The cancer in his lung as well as the swollen lymph nodes and the tumor in his liver pushing his diaphram and everything up into his lung has significantly decreased his lung capacity making it harder to breath. This is why they connected him to a tube after his oxygen levels had dropped so low. They have mentioned that if his Oxygen levels stay decreased, they may switch to an Oxygen mask instead of only the tube.
His abdomen is still very rigid and tender. Due to the fact that they are pumping so many liquids into him as well as the Chemo drugs, they feel that he may be getting more fluid into his abdomen then they previously thought. If keeps up, they may take him down and "drain" the fluid from him to help him breath.
All in all, he's had some good moments and bad moments. We've had good news and not so great news.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Father Can You Hear Me?
Our sister Tanya has a prayer group back in Tiffin, IA that has been praying for Jerry and sending good thoughts and energy his way. They have discovered a priest that will say special prayers for people in need and he has had good success.
So, Padre Pio has come into our world.
If you are praying or speaking to whomever you speak to in your private moments, throw a special prayer, request or shout out to Padre Pio to watch over Jerry and help him thru everything that is going on right now.
The power of prayer can be amazing.... both spiritually and emotionally.
So, Padre Pio has come into our world.
If you are praying or speaking to whomever you speak to in your private moments, throw a special prayer, request or shout out to Padre Pio to watch over Jerry and help him thru everything that is going on right now.
The power of prayer can be amazing.... both spiritually and emotionally.
Friday, January 9, 2009
At Last Some Good News!
Today started off like any other, and then this evening we received some fantastic news from the Oncologist.
Jerry now has a window view room (after they turned his bed to face out the window) and he has spectacular views of Kansas City and downtown (He said it's look really pretty at night). We are calling it his "penthouse suite with a view".
Jerry had his second round of Radiation this afternoon. His next bout of Chemotherapy will be in 3 weeks. He is looking very well for everything he is going through. They are still keeping him connected to the food and IV as well as an intravenous pain drug. He is also receiving Heparnin for his heart and Insulin to help aid his liver and kidneys. He has these in order to counter act the affects of the Chemotherapy.
The Oncologist came in this afternoon with the results of the biopsy from Wednesday. They are almost now positive that the Cancer is the Lymphoma type. This is GREAT news in that, they want to try a second "cocktail" of Chemotherapy that is more aggressive and will really target what is going on with his system. The treatment will last over a period of 5 days and is one of the more aggressive types they can use. There are however, a few side affects such as disorientation, and stress on the liver but the doctors and Jerry feel that this is ok compared to what the end results could be. They are doing a lower dose of the cocktail than they would normally in order to cause less stress/strain on the liver. They plan to start it tonight (Friday).
Jerry is very pumped with this news and we are all excited to get this treatment going. His attitude is truly great for everything that is going on, especially after the news this evening.
He is surrounded by his family and a lot of friends at the hospital. We have managed to take over one of the visitor lounges - and even scared off 2 people that thought about coming in to sit this evening. His nurses are really friendly and they are taking excellent care of him.
Tomorrow will bring a brand new day bright and clear ...and we have very good feelings after this evening's news.
Jerry now has a window view room (after they turned his bed to face out the window) and he has spectacular views of Kansas City and downtown (He said it's look really pretty at night). We are calling it his "penthouse suite with a view".
Jerry had his second round of Radiation this afternoon. His next bout of Chemotherapy will be in 3 weeks. He is looking very well for everything he is going through. They are still keeping him connected to the food and IV as well as an intravenous pain drug. He is also receiving Heparnin for his heart and Insulin to help aid his liver and kidneys. He has these in order to counter act the affects of the Chemotherapy.
The Oncologist came in this afternoon with the results of the biopsy from Wednesday. They are almost now positive that the Cancer is the Lymphoma type. This is GREAT news in that, they want to try a second "cocktail" of Chemotherapy that is more aggressive and will really target what is going on with his system. The treatment will last over a period of 5 days and is one of the more aggressive types they can use. There are however, a few side affects such as disorientation, and stress on the liver but the doctors and Jerry feel that this is ok compared to what the end results could be. They are doing a lower dose of the cocktail than they would normally in order to cause less stress/strain on the liver. They plan to start it tonight (Friday).
Jerry is very pumped with this news and we are all excited to get this treatment going. His attitude is truly great for everything that is going on, especially after the news this evening.
He is surrounded by his family and a lot of friends at the hospital. We have managed to take over one of the visitor lounges - and even scared off 2 people that thought about coming in to sit this evening. His nurses are really friendly and they are taking excellent care of him.
Tomorrow will bring a brand new day bright and clear ...and we have very good feelings after this evening's news.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
And a one-two to the head as well
They are starting Chemo & Radiation on Jerry today at 2:30 pm (CST). They hope to be able to slow the growth and if lucky, eliminate some of the Cancer in his body. The chemo/radiation will be a 15 day process.
Not sure at this point if we'll be trekking to MD Anderson. For now, staying put in KC at KUMed and getting this treated.
Not sure at this point if we'll be trekking to MD Anderson. For now, staying put in KC at KUMed and getting this treated.
A Sucker Punch to the Gut
Well, overnight things have gone from not great - to just darn right not good at all, dare I say- even bad.
Jerry is now in the ICU at KUMed. They put him there last evening as his heart rate was extremely low and they were taking some precautionary measures. They managed to get that stabilized, but kept him in in ICU for monitoring and "just in case" his heart or blood pressure dropped again. They have him hooked up to a feeding tube so he is now getting nutrition back into his body (yeah!) as well as an IV with fluids to keep him hydrated.
They also took another CAT scan of his body last night just to check things out.
...and that's where things went South....
The tumor has now grown to the size of a basketball. His Lymph nodes are severly swollen with Cancer at this point, and that is also making it diffucult for him to breath & swallow. Both of these combined is what is causing Jerry so much pain as well as his loss of appetite.
The Cancer has also spread to several more parts of his body, including more in the bones and one lung. They have determined that he has a "solid" Cancer and not a blood Cancer (which is a good step in the right direction on figuring this out), but still unsure the origin of the Primary Cancer cells.
The Oncologist and Radiologist are supposed to come in today ASAP and figure out what we can do from here. They want to start him on radiation IMMEDIATELY to try and reduce the size of the tumor and see if it helps things or not.
At this point, not really sure how things are going to progress. In the 5 weeks since Jerry was diagnosed, this Cancer has spread rapidly and with a viciousness that is unrivaled.
Please say an extra prayer/thought/chant for him today if you have the time. I have a feeling he is going to need everything he can get.
Once we know more from the doctors, I'll re-post information to keep you updated, but for now... a grim outlook.
Jerry is now in the ICU at KUMed. They put him there last evening as his heart rate was extremely low and they were taking some precautionary measures. They managed to get that stabilized, but kept him in in ICU for monitoring and "just in case" his heart or blood pressure dropped again. They have him hooked up to a feeding tube so he is now getting nutrition back into his body (yeah!) as well as an IV with fluids to keep him hydrated.
They also took another CAT scan of his body last night just to check things out.
...and that's where things went South....
The tumor has now grown to the size of a basketball. His Lymph nodes are severly swollen with Cancer at this point, and that is also making it diffucult for him to breath & swallow. Both of these combined is what is causing Jerry so much pain as well as his loss of appetite.
The Cancer has also spread to several more parts of his body, including more in the bones and one lung. They have determined that he has a "solid" Cancer and not a blood Cancer (which is a good step in the right direction on figuring this out), but still unsure the origin of the Primary Cancer cells.
The Oncologist and Radiologist are supposed to come in today ASAP and figure out what we can do from here. They want to start him on radiation IMMEDIATELY to try and reduce the size of the tumor and see if it helps things or not.
At this point, not really sure how things are going to progress. In the 5 weeks since Jerry was diagnosed, this Cancer has spread rapidly and with a viciousness that is unrivaled.
Please say an extra prayer/thought/chant for him today if you have the time. I have a feeling he is going to need everything he can get.
Once we know more from the doctors, I'll re-post information to keep you updated, but for now... a grim outlook.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What is up with all this?
Well, this week has already been an interesting week and we aren't even half-way thru it (ok, we are JUST half-way thru it).
Jerry is back in the hospital (at KU Med) as of yesterday afternoon. Not sure how long he will remain there this go around.
He went in yesterday morning for his 3rd biopsy, however, they determined that he was too dehydrated to perform the procedure. They admitted him to the hospital and immediately put him on fluids. He spent the evening there, and remains there as of Wednesday night for an undetermined period.
Today, he was up and around (but apparently, had a bad night). They were able to perform the biopsy though (THANK GOODNESS! sometihng is moving forward at last) as well as run a test on his throat. He has been very hoarse the past few days as well as complaing about sores in his mouth, so they wanted to check that out. They also ran an additional ultrasound on his liver and such just to check things out.
We are hoping we will still be able to get the results back from this biopsy by Friday to help determine what the heck is actually going on. They are all stumped and this waiting is brutal as he can't begin any type of treatment protocol until they determine what they are dealing with, as well as Jerry's strength needs to be up for the procedures (which at this point today, they are not).
Not much more to tell really.. he is pretty weak, but now that he's in hospital, they will keep him hydrated and get some food into his system to help build his strength back up. Mom and Dad are with him in KC and keeping everyone updated as well as keeping Jerry company.
Jerry is back in the hospital (at KU Med) as of yesterday afternoon. Not sure how long he will remain there this go around.
He went in yesterday morning for his 3rd biopsy, however, they determined that he was too dehydrated to perform the procedure. They admitted him to the hospital and immediately put him on fluids. He spent the evening there, and remains there as of Wednesday night for an undetermined period.
Today, he was up and around (but apparently, had a bad night). They were able to perform the biopsy though (THANK GOODNESS! sometihng is moving forward at last) as well as run a test on his throat. He has been very hoarse the past few days as well as complaing about sores in his mouth, so they wanted to check that out. They also ran an additional ultrasound on his liver and such just to check things out.
We are hoping we will still be able to get the results back from this biopsy by Friday to help determine what the heck is actually going on. They are all stumped and this waiting is brutal as he can't begin any type of treatment protocol until they determine what they are dealing with, as well as Jerry's strength needs to be up for the procedures (which at this point today, they are not).
Not much more to tell really.. he is pretty weak, but now that he's in hospital, they will keep him hydrated and get some food into his system to help build his strength back up. Mom and Dad are with him in KC and keeping everyone updated as well as keeping Jerry company.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Onward and Upward
I hope everyone had a great holidays and spend lots of time with family.
Jerry is back in Kansas City as of last Friday. He had an appointment at KU Med and we are slowing, but surely moving forward with things.
They have decided to do yet another biopsy to remove more tissue from the tumor and/or lymph nodes so they can determine just what kind of Cancer we are fighting here. To date, the tissue samples they have are too small, and they can not determine just what type of Cancer Jerry has. Sooo.. Tuesday, Jerry goes in for another Biopsy at KU Med. Friday will show us the results and hopefully give us the answer we are all waiting for: what type of Cancer we need to kick butt on.
MD Anderson has finally started responding to us and they have received all of the records on Jerry. I've spoken to them a few times and they are now in the process of reviewing his case to determine if he is eligible (DUH, yes) and what treatment they can offer. I should hear from by end of this week on a date that Jerry can get down there and get something started.
The hurry up and waiting is brutal!
Jerry and mom are both in KC at the moment. No plans to return to Iowa in the near future.. but hoping to head down to Texas ASAP. He has his moments of pain and weakness, but for the most part, is doing really well. Mom is trying to keep his strength up so that when the time comes, he'll be ready to begin whatever treatment the doctors say is best for him. Attitudes seem to be on the positive side for the most part as well.
Lanie is Lanie thru all this. I think she is aware something's going on, and all the new people in/out are definitely throwing her off, but she got some new toys for Christmas and those seem to revive her spirits as well.
For those of you that want to visit him- please call Mom first to see if he's up for it. Also, if you or anyone around you is or has been sick recently - we ask that you please stay clear of him so as not to possibly get him sick. We don't need that to fight as well right now.
Talk to you all soon!
Sherri
Jerry is back in Kansas City as of last Friday. He had an appointment at KU Med and we are slowing, but surely moving forward with things.
They have decided to do yet another biopsy to remove more tissue from the tumor and/or lymph nodes so they can determine just what kind of Cancer we are fighting here. To date, the tissue samples they have are too small, and they can not determine just what type of Cancer Jerry has. Sooo.. Tuesday, Jerry goes in for another Biopsy at KU Med. Friday will show us the results and hopefully give us the answer we are all waiting for: what type of Cancer we need to kick butt on.
MD Anderson has finally started responding to us and they have received all of the records on Jerry. I've spoken to them a few times and they are now in the process of reviewing his case to determine if he is eligible (DUH, yes) and what treatment they can offer. I should hear from by end of this week on a date that Jerry can get down there and get something started.
The hurry up and waiting is brutal!
Jerry and mom are both in KC at the moment. No plans to return to Iowa in the near future.. but hoping to head down to Texas ASAP. He has his moments of pain and weakness, but for the most part, is doing really well. Mom is trying to keep his strength up so that when the time comes, he'll be ready to begin whatever treatment the doctors say is best for him. Attitudes seem to be on the positive side for the most part as well.
Lanie is Lanie thru all this. I think she is aware something's going on, and all the new people in/out are definitely throwing her off, but she got some new toys for Christmas and those seem to revive her spirits as well.
For those of you that want to visit him- please call Mom first to see if he's up for it. Also, if you or anyone around you is or has been sick recently - we ask that you please stay clear of him so as not to possibly get him sick. We don't need that to fight as well right now.
Talk to you all soon!
Sherri
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