(Grandma & Uncle Santon at her b-day dinner)
(Crystal & Jonathan at Grandma's b-day dinner)
(Mom & Dad at Grandma's b-day dinner)
(Chris & Dad waiting for Thanksgiving Dinner)
(Dad & I at Thanksgiving) 12/14/08
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the lapse in communications but it was another busy week. I joined Mom & Dad for the 1st two days of their 3rd tip to MD Anderson this past week. Dad met w/the radiation oncologist on Mon where we were told they were recommending 5.5 weeks of radiation along w/chemotherapy. On Tue he met w/the the medical oncologist who recommended 2 kinds of chemotherapy to go along w/the radiation - 1 drug that would be delivered via an IV every Monday and another in the form of pills taken 2x/day. After much thought and discussion, Dad decided it was best for him to have his radiation & chemo done locally in Fort Worth so he could have as much of his normal routine as possible. Plus, I don't know about you but that's a long time to stay in a hotel, esp. if you're sick!
Dad also saw a urologist on Tue just to be sure his prostate was clear since his PSA levels have gradually climbed over the last 5 years and the fact that he's had 2 benign biopsies as well. His exam indicated he was fine even though they found one small nodule that the Dr. didn't think was worrisome at this point. On Wed he had a renal scan to check his kidneys and based on the results he got back on Thu, his kidneys are doing just fine. The signs of deficiency may have been a result of all the tests he had when he was hospitalized along w/the pain medicine he was taking for awhile. So that's good given the radiation plan. On Thu he had an ultrasound to further explore a nodule that was found on a previous test and then they were able to head home.
Meanwhile, I was able to work with his local oncologist when I got back in town on Wed. to get things moving in Fort Worth with the radiation and medical oncologists in his FW office. He meets with both of them on Thu to get his treatment plan finalized and scheduled. All in all, not a bad week...just busy between Houston & work! But the best thing is that we have had him home for the holidays.
Thanks again for all of your support, well wishes & prayers! If I was Dad I would want as much support as possible so I could be a survivor like Lance Armstrong, Colin Powell, or Melissa Etheridge!
12/3/08
Friends & Family,
I wanted to give you a quick update based on my Dad's latest visit to Dr. Pisters, his surgical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) which was 12/2. I was not there but I listened in via speakerphone.
-Based on his protein levels in his blood, his nutritional health is rated at a D-, close to an F
-This needs to be an A before they can do surgery to remove the tumor in/near his bile duct/small intestine
-His body has been breaking down his muscle the last 6-8 wks (also why he's gotten skinnier, about 190 lbs these days vs. 235 in July)
-He's been instructed to drink more fluids, carry water wherever he goes & get his intake up to about 80 oz/day
-Pisters doesn't want him on any pain meds like before when he had temporary stent given his kidney insufficiency (he phased off the 2x/day naprocen the week of 11/17 & was completely off in a few days)
-Next steps: meet w/radiation oncology team, Dr. David Swanson, & Dr. Linus Ho at MDACC week of 12/8 to determine if they can do radiation w/pre-op chemo plus additional tests including nuclear medicine test on his kidneys w/goal to do surgery in mid-spring
-He's currently diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer but they haven't determined any spread based on tests so far so we're hopeful, his kidney problems are currently inhibiting some of their confirmation of this
-After next week, expect to have complete treatment plan finalized but the plan so far is to get Dad in better shape to handle surgery in mid-Spring
-I emailed a very similar update to his local oncologist & primary care physicians earlier this evening AND his oncologist had already been in touch w/Dr. Pisters & let me know that they discussed the option of doing his chemo & possibly radiation treatment locally at 1 of The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders sites such as Fort Worth or Weatherford, which would be much more convenient than Houston for Mom & Dad. Cross your fingers!
Hopefully that covers it. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer. Since we're going to be at this for awhile, I may switch to a blog to post updates instead of emails. If I do I'll be sure to let you know.
Thank you all & hope you had a great Thanksgiving! (Dad's fried & smoked turkeys were his best yet!)
Thank you all & hope you had a great Thanksgiving! (Dad's fried & smoked turkeys were his best yet!)
11/22/08
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the lapse in emails - it's been a long week. Dad's ERCP went well on Thu AM and he spent the day back at the hotel resting up. So now he has a new plastic stent to help keep his biliary duct open. I headed home that afternoon so I could work on Fri and Mom and Dad made the trip back on Fri afternoon. Dad's big brother, Santon, flew in from Michigan as scheduled on Fri night and will be staying through Thanksgiving instead of just the weekend. We're working with his local doctors to determine if his kidney function is a recent or more chronic issue. I've since learned that when you have chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) like Dad, chronic kidney disease is not uncommon. However, Dad is off the extended-release pain medication that he started when he was in the hospital which is good since it made him groggy and a bit unsteady. His jaundice has cleared up even more since he left the hospital on 11/7 and he's eating better - pancakes and bacon this AM! Next step is his appointment w/Dr. Pisters on 12/2 back at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to confirm the stage of the cancer and treatment plan.
In the meantime, we'll be celebrating Grandma Louise's 90th birthday which is Mon. 11/24 and Thanksgiving with family and friends. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. We're going to do all we can to ensure that Dad is around to fry up more turkeys and bake up more lasagnas for many years to come! (can you tell I'm hungry?)
Take care & happy Thanksgiving to you & yours!
11/18/08
Hi all,
I have some updates and corrections from last night's email. We met w/the doctor today and his blood work from yesterday showed that his kidneys aren't functioning 100% so when they did the CT scan, they couldn't give him the contrast as planned so they did the CT scan without it. The doctor did confirm that Dad has duodenal cancer based on the tumor near his small intestine. After more tests, the doctor wants to meet with Dad again (set up for Tue. 12/2 right now) to finish putting together the full picture w/options, such as surgery, and a treatment plan. So Dad gave blood/urine afterwards, has an anesthesia assessment followed by a GI pre-op procedure Wed AM and then a bone scan in the afternoon. Thu late AM/early afternoon he has his ERCP to replace his temporary stent w/the permanent one. So depending on how he feels after the ERCP and no additional tests being scheduled, they could be home Thu night or Fri afternoon. I'm still debating whether to head home Wed afternoon or just wait and leave w/them.
Anyway, the good news is that they'll be home for Thanksgiving AND he's still talking about cooking 4 turkeys a variety of different ways for Thanksgiving Day next week at their house. So for those of you coming over, get ready!
Thanks and take care…
11/12/08
Hi everyone!
We are confirmed for 8am on Mon. 11/17 at MD Anderson Cancer Center starting with new patient registration followed by lab work, x-rays, EKG and CT scan. It will be a full day and we are on stand by from there. So it looks like we'll be headed down to Houston on Sunday afternoon. I'll be w/Mom & Dad through Wed at least if not the whole week as needed. We'll keep you posted since I'll have my work laptop w/me too. Speaking of which...thanks for putting up w/my email updates - it helps me feel like I'm doing something since none of this is happening soon enough for me!
11/8/08
All:
Dad was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon and is now home resting while we wait for confirmation of our appointment at MD Anderson. Thanks for all your love, support and concern.
We'll let you know next steps as they become available.
11/4/08
Hi everyone,
A bit of good news this afternoon. Dad's oncologist here in Fort Worth, Dr. Ray Page, was able to get Dad referred to Dr. Peter Pisters at MD Anderson. Dr. Pisters is a surgcial oncologist and 1 of the ones I had researched this weekend.
http://www.mdanderson.org/Departments/Pancreatic/dIndex.cfm?pn=D839D485-79FA-11D4-AEC700508BDCCE3A
Now we just have to see how soon Dr. Pisters can get him in. MD Anderson is at 105% capacity re: hospital beds so he will likely see Dad as an outpatient visit first. We're just glad to know we're one step closer to getting him there and very thankful he'll see one of the best.
Thank you again…
11/3/08
Good evening all,
Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and support as Dad deals with his recent health problems. The process of getting him referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX started his morning with a call from his current oncologist to MDACC. As of about 5:45pm, he had not heard back yet but assured me he would follow up with them again 1st thing in the AM. (I know him thru work so he knows I can be very persistent when I want something!) We are of course hoping to get things moving very soon so that we can get a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan.
Dad has traded his original abdominal pain from his "blocked pipes" to pain in his right side where they placed the stent to help keep things moving. He's eating normal food albeit "low fat, low sodium" hospital food which you know he loves, but is easier for him to digest. He's antsy after being in the hospital over a week but has gotten better about using the pain meds as needed. He's sleeping better through the night and typically checks email in the AM when he's eating breakfast in case you want to send a note.
Thanks again for all your support. Mom, Jonathan, Grandma Louise & I really appreciate it!
10/31/08
All,
Just wanted to let you know that we are going to be working on getting Dad referred & transferred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. After some additional tests & results, we received a surgical consult this evening and it was recommended that we get Dad to the experts there for his surgery & treatment. His tumor is right around the small bowel and ampulla which along with his gall stones make this a case for MD Anderson. He'll be staying at the hospital over the weekend while we work on getting the referral. Hopefully we can get him there next week.
10/29/08
Hi everyone,
Some of you may know more than others about Dad being admitted to the hospital in Fort Worth (Plaza Medical Center) last Fri. 10/24. So I'm trying to update everyone. He had a routine exam on Fri. 10/17 for work and sent a copy of his lab results to his Primary Care Provider. This doctor called him Mon. 10/20 & took him off all his medications including his blood pressure & cholesterol meds just as he was going out of town. He had an ultrasound of his abdomen on Fri. 10/24 in the AM and was on his way home when the doctor called him and told him to come to the hospital for further tests. They did a CT scan of his abdomen on Fri. 10/24 in the afternoon but it was still inconclusive. Through his admissions interview, we learned he's been having stomach problems (pain, cramping, nausea, etc) a good part of the summer. His work exam results showed most of his labs to be out of whack (glucose, liver enzymes, etc) and he has jaundice. All this indicates that he has gall stones and/or blockage in his bile ducts between his liver and gall bladder. His gastroenterologist decided to do an ERCP procedure on Mon. 10/27 and found an ulcerative (bleeding) mass near his pancreas. He had a procedure to place a biliary stent in his side on Tue. 10/28 to see if they could get through the blockage but still no luck although they were able to put in the tube to drain the bile. This has provided him some relief and should relieve the jaundice. He was allowed to have dinner but will be back on a liquid diet after midnight since he's having a PTC (cholangiography) on Thu. He's moved from room 623B to room 635 which means he's got his own room now. (Mom said his roomie Joe who is recovering from an appendectomy also got his own room.) They took biopsies during the ERCP and biliary stent placement so we are awaiting the results. Dad's brother, Santon, is a retired radiologist and is advising from Michigan but we're hoping to get Dad's films and other current info to him soon.
Once we know more for certain, we'll let you know. Please keep him and my mom in your thoughts and prayers and send this to family and friends I may have missed.
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the lapse in emails - it's been a long week. Dad's ERCP went well on Thu AM and he spent the day back at the hotel resting up. So now he has a new plastic stent to help keep his biliary duct open. I headed home that afternoon so I could work on Fri and Mom and Dad made the trip back on Fri afternoon. Dad's big brother, Santon, flew in from Michigan as scheduled on Fri night and will be staying through Thanksgiving instead of just the weekend. We're working with his local doctors to determine if his kidney function is a recent or more chronic issue. I've since learned that when you have chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) like Dad, chronic kidney disease is not uncommon. However, Dad is off the extended-release pain medication that he started when he was in the hospital which is good since it made him groggy and a bit unsteady. His jaundice has cleared up even more since he left the hospital on 11/7 and he's eating better - pancakes and bacon this AM! Next step is his appointment w/Dr. Pisters on 12/2 back at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to confirm the stage of the cancer and treatment plan.
In the meantime, we'll be celebrating Grandma Louise's 90th birthday which is Mon. 11/24 and Thanksgiving with family and friends. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. We're going to do all we can to ensure that Dad is around to fry up more turkeys and bake up more lasagnas for many years to come! (can you tell I'm hungry?)
Take care & happy Thanksgiving to you & yours!
11/18/08
Hi all,
I have some updates and corrections from last night's email. We met w/the doctor today and his blood work from yesterday showed that his kidneys aren't functioning 100% so when they did the CT scan, they couldn't give him the contrast as planned so they did the CT scan without it. The doctor did confirm that Dad has duodenal cancer based on the tumor near his small intestine. After more tests, the doctor wants to meet with Dad again (set up for Tue. 12/2 right now) to finish putting together the full picture w/options, such as surgery, and a treatment plan. So Dad gave blood/urine afterwards, has an anesthesia assessment followed by a GI pre-op procedure Wed AM and then a bone scan in the afternoon. Thu late AM/early afternoon he has his ERCP to replace his temporary stent w/the permanent one. So depending on how he feels after the ERCP and no additional tests being scheduled, they could be home Thu night or Fri afternoon. I'm still debating whether to head home Wed afternoon or just wait and leave w/them.
Anyway, the good news is that they'll be home for Thanksgiving AND he's still talking about cooking 4 turkeys a variety of different ways for Thanksgiving Day next week at their house. So for those of you coming over, get ready!
Thanks and take care…
11/12/08
Hi everyone!
We are confirmed for 8am on Mon. 11/17 at MD Anderson Cancer Center starting with new patient registration followed by lab work, x-rays, EKG and CT scan. It will be a full day and we are on stand by from there. So it looks like we'll be headed down to Houston on Sunday afternoon. I'll be w/Mom & Dad through Wed at least if not the whole week as needed. We'll keep you posted since I'll have my work laptop w/me too. Speaking of which...thanks for putting up w/my email updates - it helps me feel like I'm doing something since none of this is happening soon enough for me!
11/8/08
All:
Dad was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon and is now home resting while we wait for confirmation of our appointment at MD Anderson. Thanks for all your love, support and concern.
We'll let you know next steps as they become available.
11/4/08
Hi everyone,
A bit of good news this afternoon. Dad's oncologist here in Fort Worth, Dr. Ray Page, was able to get Dad referred to Dr. Peter Pisters at MD Anderson. Dr. Pisters is a surgcial oncologist and 1 of the ones I had researched this weekend.
http://www.mdanderson.org/Departments/Pancreatic/dIndex.cfm?pn=D839D485-79FA-11D4-AEC700508BDCCE3A
Now we just have to see how soon Dr. Pisters can get him in. MD Anderson is at 105% capacity re: hospital beds so he will likely see Dad as an outpatient visit first. We're just glad to know we're one step closer to getting him there and very thankful he'll see one of the best.
Thank you again…
11/3/08
Good evening all,
Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and support as Dad deals with his recent health problems. The process of getting him referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX started his morning with a call from his current oncologist to MDACC. As of about 5:45pm, he had not heard back yet but assured me he would follow up with them again 1st thing in the AM. (I know him thru work so he knows I can be very persistent when I want something!) We are of course hoping to get things moving very soon so that we can get a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan.
Dad has traded his original abdominal pain from his "blocked pipes" to pain in his right side where they placed the stent to help keep things moving. He's eating normal food albeit "low fat, low sodium" hospital food which you know he loves, but is easier for him to digest. He's antsy after being in the hospital over a week but has gotten better about using the pain meds as needed. He's sleeping better through the night and typically checks email in the AM when he's eating breakfast in case you want to send a note.
Thanks again for all your support. Mom, Jonathan, Grandma Louise & I really appreciate it!
10/31/08
All,
Just wanted to let you know that we are going to be working on getting Dad referred & transferred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. After some additional tests & results, we received a surgical consult this evening and it was recommended that we get Dad to the experts there for his surgery & treatment. His tumor is right around the small bowel and ampulla which along with his gall stones make this a case for MD Anderson. He'll be staying at the hospital over the weekend while we work on getting the referral. Hopefully we can get him there next week.
10/29/08
Hi everyone,
Some of you may know more than others about Dad being admitted to the hospital in Fort Worth (Plaza Medical Center) last Fri. 10/24. So I'm trying to update everyone. He had a routine exam on Fri. 10/17 for work and sent a copy of his lab results to his Primary Care Provider. This doctor called him Mon. 10/20 & took him off all his medications including his blood pressure & cholesterol meds just as he was going out of town. He had an ultrasound of his abdomen on Fri. 10/24 in the AM and was on his way home when the doctor called him and told him to come to the hospital for further tests. They did a CT scan of his abdomen on Fri. 10/24 in the afternoon but it was still inconclusive. Through his admissions interview, we learned he's been having stomach problems (pain, cramping, nausea, etc) a good part of the summer. His work exam results showed most of his labs to be out of whack (glucose, liver enzymes, etc) and he has jaundice. All this indicates that he has gall stones and/or blockage in his bile ducts between his liver and gall bladder. His gastroenterologist decided to do an ERCP procedure on Mon. 10/27 and found an ulcerative (bleeding) mass near his pancreas. He had a procedure to place a biliary stent in his side on Tue. 10/28 to see if they could get through the blockage but still no luck although they were able to put in the tube to drain the bile. This has provided him some relief and should relieve the jaundice. He was allowed to have dinner but will be back on a liquid diet after midnight since he's having a PTC (cholangiography) on Thu. He's moved from room 623B to room 635 which means he's got his own room now. (Mom said his roomie Joe who is recovering from an appendectomy also got his own room.) They took biopsies during the ERCP and biliary stent placement so we are awaiting the results. Dad's brother, Santon, is a retired radiologist and is advising from Michigan but we're hoping to get Dad's films and other current info to him soon.
Once we know more for certain, we'll let you know. Please keep him and my mom in your thoughts and prayers and send this to family and friends I may have missed.
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