"Normal"

Dad is back to what he calls "normal" while the rest of us would say he's still slightly off center, but that's "normal" too. Anyway, Pappadeaux's is running all-you-can-eat-lobster on Tuesday's for about $45 bucks per person. So Dad and Brandon, a co-worker, did their best to get their money's worth by consuming 5 lobsters a couple weeks ago. (Chris out did them by 1 last week when we went by eating 6 or 6lbs worth!)

October has been busy with business trips for Dad and will be topped off by attending Katie and Brian's wedding in S. Padre Island. Mom tagged along with Dad last week when they had to go to Orlando, Florida for the week. I'm sure he had to twist her arm to go hang out in the sun!

November is looking to be just as busy with trips to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see the "Northern" Craig's, Mom's cousin's daughter's wedding in Cancun, and Grandma Louise's 91st birthday.

Hope everyone is doing equally well and have a safe and happy HALLOWEEN! BOO!

Thyroid Surgery Postponed

I got a faxed copy of Dad's pathology report from his thyroid biopsy (couldn't make anything of it) and an email message to call him. Of course I called him right away and was relieved to hear that the doctors are simply postponing his thyroid surgery for now. So no Houstion trip after Turkey Day after all. He was traveling when I talked to him so I'll follow up with more info when I learn more. Stay tuned!

Recap of Dad's 1st Follow-up

All in all, Dad got a good report on his 1st follow up visit after his surgery at the end of April and release to come home in May. Those of you that have seen him lately know that he's bounced back to be the "same old Vince" that he was before his cancer diagnosis. On this visit, his abdominal/chest CT scan and blood work were all good. In fact, he's recovered so well that instead of seeing his surgeon, Dr. Pisters, he met with the PA (physician assistant) and didn't have to meet with the nutritionist at all.

If you're sensing a "but" then here it is...Dad had a spot on his thyroid that showed up about 5 months ago on a head/neck CT scan. At the time, the cancer and tumor in his intestine/bile duct were much more pressing so the physicians agreed to monitor the spots on his thyroid. Well the 3 cm spot on the right side of his thyroid is the same size and has tested benign based on the previous biopsy. However the spot on the left side has developed/grown into a cluster of a-typical cells so we are waiting on the pathology results to come back. Based on what they do know, the physician is recommending Dad have his thyroid removed and he's scheduled to do this the 1st week of December at MD Anderson.

So in the grand scheme of things, this is still very good progress and we are very blessed by how well things have gone for Dad and that he has had the opportunity to be treated at MD Anderson. There was a small part of me that knew this wasn't likely the end of his cancer battle but I would be lying if I told you that there wasn't an equally small part of me that was really hoping this might be the end for awhile. It obviously hasn't slowed Dad down since he and Mom drove home from Houston this afternoon only for Mom to drop him off at the airport to head to Salt Lake City for a business trip. That's Dad for you! (Between both of my parents, you can see where I get my workaholic tendencies from!)

On a different note, please say an extra prayer for my Dad and Grandma Louise because my Dad's older brother Santon is gearing up for his own fight against lung cancer pending some additional pathology reports. He's a retired radiologist himself so I'm sure he will be connected with some of the best at the Univ of Michigan for treatment.

Thanks again for your continued support! I'll keep you posted as we learn more about Dad's thyroid surgery in December.

First Follow Up Since Surgery

Mom & Dad left for San Antonio Friday AM because Dad had a business meeting there. They decided to spend the weekend in San Antonio and are headed to Houston today by way of Lockhart, TX - home to some of the BEST barbecue in Texas - YUM!

Tomorrow (Mon. 8/24) is the first round of follow up tests, scans, and appointments since Dad was released to come home back in May. He's been doing really well - energy level is more consistent in the 80-90% range, his taste is almost normal so he's eating much better, and he's working with his primary care physician to monitor his high blood pressure. So we have every reason to believe that his appointments on Monday and Tuesday will go well. As always, we'll keep you posted!

California Trip Recap

Dad asked me to post this list of folks that they saw during their whirlwind weekend trip to California. Glad they were able to go after all!

DAY 1 STOPS
Daniel Pereda
Minnie Ortiz
Roy Ortiz
Lee Hanley
Linda Hanley
John Medrano
Carlos Viveros
Gwen Viveros
Grandson Joshua
Jessica Falker
Matt Falker
Leila Falker
Naima Falker
Carol O’Leary
David Strider
Sydney Strider
Bob Bowers
Reveta Bowers

DAY 2 STOPS
Virginia Estrada
Jeff Schriehart
Chuck Langley
GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL 45TH REUNION

DAY 3 STOPS
Martha Oronoz
Lou Oronoz
Jason Oronoz
Fikri Takla
Pat Talka
John Pereda
Gilrose Pereda
Bobby Baeza
Gloria Baeza
Ruby Baeza
Steven Baeza
Gina Baeza
Natalia Baeza
Christopher Baeza
Isaac Baeza
Rosary Baeza
Justin Baeza

Back in the saddle

So the Monday after 4th of July, Dad proceeded to take his 1st business trip post-surgery. Leave it to Dad to not make it a single city or 1-night stay. No, it had to be a 4-day, several city trip including Salt Lake City, Albuquerque & Alamogorda in New Mexico, and El Paso. So even though we were worried sick that he was doing too much too soon after the big 4th of July fireworks, it seemed to be exactly what Dad needed to get "back in the saddle" so to speak. Last week, he went to Las Vegas to meet up with his boss for some meetings. He's feeling more and more normal to the point that he and Mom are headed to Dad's high school reunion in California this weekend. His taste is slowly but surely returning and he's holding steady with an energy level of about 80% compared to pre-cancer treatment. He's even been tending to his fruitless pear and pecan trees with pruning, fertilizing, and watering in the mornings before it gets too hot.

All in all, pretty darn good by most people's measures. This is one time I don't mind Chris telling me, "I told you so" when I was so worried about Dad during his treatment and surgery recovery.

4th of July in Cleburne, TX

Crowd getting settled to watch the show

I think we had about 40 or so people at the party tonight.

Just one of the many great shots in Dad's 30 minute display.

He's only been doing this kind of thing since 1974.

That's Dad & Jonathan off to the left of the blazing fireworks.

Notice the 2 tables behind the blazes loaded with fireworks.

Chris was busy videotaping the show behind the crowd.

I think this was the best show yet!

Dessert buffet - yum! We went this route this year instead of the full-blown cookout.

Dad, Thanks for keeping the tradition going for another great 4th of July celebration!!!

We love you!

From Father's Day

Dad & I

Dad, Chris & Mom

For Father's Day, we went to an early dinner at Uncle Julio's with Mom and Dad. We enjoyed a big meal of fajitas (Chris), enchiladas (Mom & I), quail and chile relleno (Dad.) Yum!

And thanks to Aunt Lucy & Uncle William, Dad had 2 bowls of menudo yesterday. Although he's slipped to 183 lbs. Dad seems to slowly be regaining his appetite. Another good sign is he was cleared for travel today and is looking at several trips in July. Let's just hope he doesn't overdo it!

Hope you all have a safe & fun 4th of July this weekend!

Happy Friday

Friday afternoon after their weekly call with the nutritionist in the AM, Mom and Dad heard back from the surgeon's physician assistant that afternoon. The PA called with good news - Dad had done well enough during his trial week without the nightly feedings through his feeding tube that they were ending the feeding tube sessions. Pretty good even though he lost a couple pounds without the extra nourishment at night. So Dad is working on setting up an appointment this week to have the feeding tube removed. They celebrated Friday night by going to El Asadero where Dad ate a whole bowl of menudo. That should help fatten him up a bit too!

Dinner at Chadra's

As I was winding down from a crazy day at work yesterday evening (must be the heat that has everyone riled up!), I got a call from Dad to see if we wanted to meet him and Mom for dinner at Chadra Mezza & Grill (http://www.chadramezza.com/). They twisted my arm and I met them there after calling Chris so he could head over too. Dad was in good spirits even though they had just been to the hospital to visit a close family friend whose sister is in the hospital again due to her own battle with cancer. Dad is still having taste issues especially with meat like chicken which tastes rubbery to him. But he enjoys practically any soup or pasta dish so that's good. A coworker of Chris's suggested Dad try to eat pickles before he eats a meal because that seemed to "prime" her father's taste buds when he was recovering from cancer. If you have any other suggestions, send them our way! He seems to get a kick out of weighing around 185 lbs which was what he was in high school but we're still trying to fatten him up!

As for his energy level, he seems to be gaining some speed slowly. When he went grocery shopping with Mom over the weekend at Sam's, he walked on his own instead of using the electric cart so that's good progress. He's driving a little bit here and there but pacing himself so he doesn't get over-tired.

It's definitely heating up in Texas so stay cool!

Nutritionist Update

Mom just finished her weekly report to Dad's nutritionist down at MD Anderson. He's holding his weight around 185-187 lbs and based on his food/liquid diary, she recommended taking Dad off his nightly feedings for the next week. If he does well without them she will recommend that they remove the feeding tube altogether to his medical team. He's still struggling with "having food taste like it used to" which affects the satisfaction he gets from his food cravings but we understand that's normal.

Have a great weekend!

6 week mark

Yesterday, Jonathan met me at Mom & Dad's and we did a slew of chores outside. Thanks to our wonderful cousin Mat & his lawn service for mowing earlier in the week, which let us focus on more than just mowing and weedeating the whole 3 acres. We were finally able to check out the Ford tractor and get it ready for one of us to do the next mow in a week or so. We did an overall cleanup of the dog pen including mowing, weedeating, cutting back small mesquite trees that had re-sprouted, and cutting back low-hanging oak tree limbs around the dog pen and barn. Thanks to Jon's willingness to get on the roof, we were able to clear out the rain gutters too. Mom also pitched in especially as we fed the burn bin with limbs and leaves and made sure we had lots of water. She was also on fire ant patrol around the yard with the Amdro in tow. All in all about 5 hours of work and my arm/shoulder muscles are a bit sore today but it reminded me of "old times" when we did that kind of work every spring/summer with Mom and Dad. Dad helped replace a bulb in one of the "streetlight" outdoor lights when we first started and then supervised our work from his recliner in the sunroom and his new hammock in the backyard. Go Dad!

Tomorrow, June 8th, makes six weeks since Dad had his surgery. He's lost another pound or so and is sitting at 186 lbs. Taste seems to be his biggest challenge to eating more these days along with a smaller appetite in general. But overall he's doing well at the normal halfway point in his recovery. My boss, who is a physician, was quick to remind me that recovery from a Whipple procedure of any sort is about as big as it gets.

What's going on...

Sorry for the lapse in posting...time got away from me! As I mentioned before, Chris & I went to visit Dad on Friday, May 22nd. Dad was feeling pretty good so we went out for Mexican food at the El Asadero restaurant in Cleburne. Yum!

Since then, I've talked to Mom and Dad every few days or so to see how he's doing. I went for a visit on Sunday afternoon and took him a jar of La Madeline's Tomato Basil soup that he had been craving. His weekly reports with the nutritionist are fine - she just wants him to eat more and more often. They reduced his overnight feeding from 4 cans to 3 on Friday and his weight has dipped to 187 lbs over the last week. So, yeah he's a bit skinny but overall recovering well. When I asked him what his energy level was like he said it was a 6 on a scale of 1-10. From what I've read, that's about right given that he had his surgery 5 weeks ago yesterday. Total recovery for his kind of surgery is 2-3 months until you're supposed to feel "normal." So I would imagine that he'll be moving & grooving closer to the end of July. Now that doesn't mean that he's not already thinking about how he can work out this year's 4th of July fireworks show with Chris & Jonathan!

Home

Just got a text from Dad - they are officially home! Heading over there after work...

HEADING HOME!!!

Dad just called to tell me that the appointments for lab work and with the surgeon and nutritionist all went well and that he was released to come home. They are heading back to Sugar Land right now from MD Anderson to pack and will be driving back to Cleburne tomorrrow!

He will head back to Houston for follow ups in August but won't have any additional treatment in the meantime. For now, he will keep a food and drink diary for weekly submission to the nutritionist and the surgeon's physician assistant. He will still have the feeding tube for awhile but they are adjusting it to only be connected at night so he can be "untethered" during the day. No travel for awhile still, esp. because of the feeding tube, but he says his energy level is improving. Mom said the surgeon called Dad a "stellar patient" in part to how he looked, how he responded to the chemo/radiation prior to surgery, and recovery thus far.

As you can imagine, I am very excited, relieved, happy and a whole host of other emotions!

"Home" Stretch?

Well, it's Wednesday and we're hoping that Dad gets the green light to head home to Cleburne when he has his post-surgery follow up appointments tomorrow AM. Cross your fingers! Mom and Dad haven't been home since Sun. 4/26 so I'm sure they are anxious to get home and sleep in their own bed again.

Here's a picture Mom sent me from Jon & Crystal's visit last Thursday.

He's out of the hospital!

Hi folks,

Dad left MD Anderson this afternoon about 2pm and is settling in at Mom's cousin's house for the next week or so. Let's hope he's a good houseguest! ;-) Hopefully he'll be up for a picture soon so you can see for yourself how he's doing post surgery. I understand he's maintained his weight relatively well bouncing between 200-210 lbs.

Release from Hospital

There was a rumor about this yesterday but I didn't want to post it until I knew for sure. Dad is being released from the hospital today! He called me this AM to confirm and he seemed very upbeat about it. He can't head home to Cleburne just yet but hopefully after his follow up on Thu. 5/21 he will be able to. So they will be hanging out in Houston until then with Mom's wonderful cousin.

Weekend Update

Dad seems to be making a turn for the better. He ate some Honey Nut Cheerios w/2% milk on Saturday and has been drinking orange Gatorade. They removed his fall risk wrist band and we got the pathology report back. The tumor they removed had shrunk 50% and was less than 2 cm when they removed it. The samples they took during surgery all came back negative for cancer too! Of course this is really good to hear.

He seems to be resting better and trying to work solid foods back into his diet. Depending on his review today, he may be discharged on Tuesday. We are not sure if he will have to stay in the Houston area for 5-7 days or if he'll be able to go straight home.

Cross your fingers!

Friday

Hi everyone,

I'm glad to report that Mom & Dad were finally able to see the doctor at the same time to recap the week. Dr. Pisters had been out of town which we knew but then Mom was missing the doctors when they were making their rounds since it was before she would arrive or after she would head out for the day. Anyway, they had taken several x-rays of Dad's chest and abdomen area and a CT scan this week. They were monitoring what turned out to be a pocket of fluid that was in his abdomen area caused by a leak near his stomach and intestine. The leak seems to have sealed itself based on today's x-ray and that may have been what was causing Dad's pain. Dr. Pisters thought Dad looked good and was doing well. They will see how he does over the weekend and go from there. Hopefully now that the leak seems to be ok, he will be able to resume his strolls around the nurse's station and breathing exercises to workout his lungs.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers!

Wednesday/Thursday

Dad seems to be back on track. He got a real shower and shave yesterday morning and resumed using the feeding tube. Jonathan's wife, Crystal, came in Monday night for a quick visit Tuesday before heading back to Fort Worth on Wednesday. Dad also had a visit from an old friend in Houston, Greg. So he seems to be doing well. I sent some family photos on regular printer paper to liven up his hospital room since that doesn't take up too much space. Mom also mentioned he watched a movie on his laptop Tuesday or Wednesday so that's good to hear since he didn't even want the TV on last week when I was there.

Monday evening/Tuesday morning

Mom said Dad's order for pain meds via IV came through about 5:30 pm last night so he was doing better before she left around 6pm. So far today, he's doing much better. He had a chest x-ray this AM as they are checking him for infection. He'll have a CAT scan soon as well. But even the nurse commented on how he really is quite a talker when he's feeling better so that's a good sign.

Monday

Dad seems to be on the recovery roller coaster. He had a less than stellar day on Saturday but seemed to perk up yesterday only to have his worst day yet today with nausea and pain. They took out the epidural, which was how they were delivering his pain meds which allowed him to push a button up to every 10 minutes, and the catheter. The pain meds via the epidural worked better than the oral pain meds he was switched to today because he's been hurting most of the afternoon which has caused his blood pressure to rise. They took another x-ray (had one Saturday too) and we're waiting to hear the results. Send good thoughts to Mom since she's there with him helping him get through it.

Sunday

Here is today's update from Mom in Houston. When she arrived just after 10am (she finally slept in a bit!), Dad was resting but had already been up and about. He reported that he was feeling better today and his feeding tube is up to 30 cc/hr now. The nurse cleared him to start drinking clear liquids again so Mom promptly ordered him a Diet Sprite and orange Jello. It sounds like the epidural line and catheter might come out tomorrow so he'll be down a couple more tubes.

I got an email from him this evening that he forwarded from his bosses' wife so he must be doing better. (Get some rest Dad-work isn't going anywhere!)

Blog readers - In case you'd like to post comments on the blog, just be sure that you have a Google or gmail email account, otherwise you won't be able to post.

Stay tuned!

Friday & Saturday

Sorry for the break in reporting - it's been a busy couple of days! I left Houston just after lunch Friday afternoon. It was hard to leave Mom and Dad but I know they are in good hands. On Friday afternoon they decreased Dad's IV fluids and increased his feeding tube. He also received some additional sodium phosphate, a shot of Heparin to thin his blood, and then he was able to rest quite a bit so he didn't need as much pain medicine. His blood pressure was up slightly but it moderates right after he has his dose of medicine. Overfall he said he was feeling pretty puny when I talked to him Friday evening.

When I spoke to Mom this afternoon he was still a bit iffy thanks to nausea. His incision is still a little leaky but they are monitoring it and will determine if they need to reopen it, pack it and then re-close it. Overall the doctors are pleased with his progress and hope to remove the catheter and epidural to move to oral pain meds.

Thursday Update #2

Mom and I left the hospital for the day about 5:15 pm and by then Dad had already done 4 out of the 5 walks that the staff planned for him today. That's 2 days in a row so that's good to keep his muscles looser and prevent blood clots. They also removed the oxygen tube to see if he could get enough oxygen on his own. He seemed to do well with this. They also reduced the dosage on his pain killer which seemed to make him too sleepy.

So we'll see how he does tomorrow AM. I head back to Fort Worth Friday afternoon since I have a scholarship awards banquet to set up for on Saturday morning. Depending on how Mom and Dad do will determine if I make another trip to Houston during his recovery.

Thursday

Mom & I arrived at the hospital about 9:15 am today. Dad was sleeping so we let him be for awhile and camped out in the surgical waiting area on his floor. He was awake again at 10am when Mom went to check on him. When I went in Mom said the nursing staff had taken him for a walk and set up his feeding tube so he is currently on a bag that should last 36 hours. It looks like smooth oatmeal. Mom will have a class on Saturday afternoon to learn how to care for his feeding tube since he will be on that for a few weeks.

Just a bit ago, the nurse took out the stomach tube that was draining out his nose since he has the feeding tube in use and they don't want to just take out the food that was just put in. It didn't look like fun but hopefully his sore throat will start to feel better without the tube and with the help of the Cloraseptic spray they gave him to use.

We're still working on getting his lungs clearer - he's going to have another breathing treatment and we're still trying to get him to do the breathing exercises every hour.

Wednesday

Dad, aka Grumpola, was out and about in his area of the surgical floor today. He did a couple laps around the nurses/doctors station 4 times today. We know he's feeling better when he's grouchy and thinks we are nagging him. Anyway, he ate a couple more Blue Bell sugar-free popsicles since he's not getting food orally or by his feeding tube yet. Maybe tomorrow on the feeding tube but we'll see. His blood pressure is doing well thanks to the medicine he's getting in his IV every 6 hours or so. They had to re-suture one of his drains this afternoon and Mom was able to observe. (I was down the hall doing some work.) They did this so that it would stop leaking.

The main thing now is to get him to do the breathing exercises every hour he's awake like they want him to so he can reduce the congestion in his lungs and reduce his risk of pneumonia. I think I might have gotten his attention when I told him that if he gets pneumonia, he'll have to be in the hospital even longer! Taking turns with Mom sitting in his room was a good plan plus we phoned-a-friend to get some extra patience. So if you talk to Dad any time soon (he was on the Crackberry today) please back us up on the breathing exercises! Thanks again...

More from Tuesday

After our break from the hospital this afternoon, Mom and I went to see Dad again from 6-7pm. He was awake and watching some TV. He'd already had 2 popsicles and requested/ate a 3rd while we were there. Dr. Pisters had been by to seen Dad while we were away (of course!) and said Dad was doing well. Dad didn't realize he'd skipped the ICU completely but seemed pleased with himself. His blood pressure was starting to creep back up so the doctor cleared him to resume his blood pressure medicine but through his IV vs. the normal pills. He is already "requesting" his Blackberry and laptop so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. I think he feels like he can settle in a bit now that he's in "his" room. Mom and I plan to take turns tomorrow trying to get him to walk the hall and do his breathing treatments/exercises intended to prevent pneumonia, which he's had a couple times a long time ago. I forgot to mention that he didn't even need a blood transfusion during his surgery yesterday.

I think that's all for now...back to watching Game 5 of the Mavs/Spurs b-ball game. GO MAVS!!!

Tuesday

We thought we might have to swim to the hospital with all the rain that is coming down in parts of Houston but we didn't have any problems. Dad spent the night in the overnight recovery room and that's where he was this AM when Mom, Jonathan and I arrived around 9am. He's doing well - he was sitting in his bedside chair for at least an hour and then got back in bed. He's also been up moving around the room a bit. Jonathan left for home around 11am followed by Becky and Sylvia who stopped in for a quick visit before they hit the road too.

While Mom and I were having lunch with Grandma and Grandpa, they moved him to his regular hospital room and he's resting very well. Not much else to update you other than he's talking well and his color looks good, maybe even better than last weekend.

We got to see Dad...

Mom got to go back to the recovery area to see Dad about 5pm for 20 minutes or so. Then Jonathan and I went back for about 25 minutes. He's pretty alert and talking quite a bit. While we were there, one of the surgeons on his team, Dr. Kerry Smith, was checking him out. He showed us Dad's incision just off-center to the left on his belly. It's shaped like a long and skinny letter "I." I asked Dr. Smith how often they do this kind of surgery and he said 2-3 times per week and that Dr. Pisters was one of the very best in the country at this procedure.

He's got quite a few tubes - feeding tube, gastric tube, breathing tube, IV's, etc. - but that was in the pre-op information. He held my hand while he talked and wanted to make sure all of you had been updated on his status. And you wonder where I get my bossiness from?!? He was yakking about making lasagna, going fishing, etc. I switched out with Jonathan and left him to hold his hand so Mom could go back and visit again since he was more alert.

So I thought I would post another time this evening since I was able to see him with my own eyes! Thank you for putting up with my chatter. Keeping you all in the loop has been very therapeutic for me too! We are very blessed to have such a wonderful support system of family and friends cheering Dad and us on as we go through this. I know I've said it before, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

ALL DONE!!!

We were waiting to speak to the surgical nurse at our 2:00 pm-ish update but were able to speak to Dad's surgeon, Dr. Pisters, instead. Dad handled the surgery with flying colors! Dr. Pisters and his team were very pleased with the results of his chemo/radiation from earlier this year and the tumor had been greatly reduced in size. He did so well that he may not have to be in ICU the normal 2-3 days. They are going to try to keep him in the overnight recovery room and move him to ICU only if they need to. They still expect he'll be in the hospital about 10 days or so.

Thanks for all your positive thoughts and prayers - they definitely paid off!!!

Update #2

Just got an update from the nurse on Dad, they are moving forward with the Whipple procedure as of 11:20am which means the "exploration" they started just before 8am was good. We'll be here awhile since the procedure is scheduled for 8 hours!

Surgery Update

We got an update from the surgical nurse just after 10am...the first incision was at 7:53am and when the nurse made rounds by him at 9:40 am they hadn't yet taken the tumor out but had taken samples around the area. So far so good so hopefully we'll know more at the noon update.

In Surgery

We (Mom, Dad, Jonathan and I) arrived about 5 am at MD Anderson so Dad could check in. They took him back to the surgery prep area about 5:20 am with about a dozen or so other patients and their caregivers. Jonathan and I were able to see him with Mom for a few minutes before they wheeled him off for his epidural and surgery. As usual, Dad was in very good spirits. I think he's ready to get the surgery over with so he can get on the road to recovery.

Then we headed off to grab some food in the cafeteria - breakfast tacos and coffee. So now we are hanging out in the surgery waiting area. Mom is crocheting a baby blanket for a friend of mine that just had a baby in Houston last Monday. Jonathan is reading the packet on Dad's surgery and I'm, well you know, blogging. After this, I'll be on Facebook, my newest time waster!

Stay tuned...

Mom's Party

We had quite a turnout for Mom's Birthday Party yesterday at Esperanza's Cafe. In fact, we took over half the restaurant so it was good we were there off-peak. Here are a couple of photos from our camera.

Jennifer, Anita & Jonathan

Vince, Jakob & Ray

Chris, Barbara & Manuel

Sally, Diana & Anita

Anita, Al & Vince

(Al is the Physician Assistant that helped Dad a lot when he was 1st hospitalized back in Oct '08, he was having dinner at the restaurant with his family)

Surgery Time

Just heard back from Dad...check-in is 5:15 am on Monday and surgery will start approximately 2 hours later. He'll be in surgery 6-8 hours, maybe 10 but I will post an update for you as soon as I can Monday. Thanks!

Counting Down...

So not only has this been a crazy busy week, as many of them are these days, we still don't know what time Dad's surgery is. I know they say patience is a virtue but it's not one I have actively developed. I wonder where I get that from...Anyway, I just checked in with Dad and he is supposed to call MD Anderson between 3 and 5pm today to find out what time we have to be a the hospital on Monday AM. I'm sure it will be bright and early.

In the meantime, we're gearing up to celebrate Mom's 60th Birthday tomorrow just a few days early since they'll be in Houston on her actual birthday 4/29. So stay tuned for photos from the party tomorrow night or Sunday before I hit the road.

Dinner with Matt, Jessica, Leila & David at Fogo de Chao

We had dinner with family friends at Fogo de Chao in Addison last night. Here's the connection...Jessica's parents used to hang out with mine back in the day. In fact, her folks are my godparents so Jessica and I say we're "godsisters." Matt is her musically talented husband and Leila is their adorable daughter, who is soon to be a "big sister." David is the proud uncle that joined us since he lives in the NorthTexas area now. A good time and great food was had by all. We were all amazed at how well Leila did during our 2-hour dinner! Cute and smart...Mom & Dad better watch out!

SURGERY

I'm so going to regret staying up this late tomorrow, esp. since we are going to the Mavs game tomorrow night but that's what coffee is for, right?

So, Mom & Dad arrived home around 8pm this evening from their morning of appointments at MD Anderson by way of a wedding in Fayetteville, TX over the weekend. (Congrats again Kelley & Gabe!) Anyway, all systems are go for Dad to have his "pancreatic duodectomy" on Monday, April 27th. The 3rd date must have been the charm!

Short version is that Dad will be in surgery 6-8 hours, maybe up to 10 depending on how things go. He'll be in ICU 2-3 days with a feeding tube, breathing tube, and IV. If he's up and moving around well, they will then transfer him to a regular hospital room where Mom can spend the night if she wants to. They say the median hospital stay for this is 11 days, so it could be less or more. My bet is on less knowing Dad. Anyway, after he's discharged, then they will be hanging around Houston another week or so until the Docs say they can head home.

Yes, I will be in Houston for the surgery and possibly all that week with laptop & Blackberry in tow so I can keep you posted as much as possible. Thanks again for all the love, support, well wishes, and most of all, prayers! Please keep them coming...

April Update

I know, I know...I've been a slacker on keeping you posted on "what's up with Vince." But you know how it goes, right?

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that he is heading to Houston/MD Anderson for appointments on Tuesday AM by way of a family friend's wedding this weekend. He'll meet with the surgeon again where I imagine they will see how his protein levels are doing since his last visit and if they are sticking with the April 27th surgery date.

Other than that, I hope you and yours have a wonderful Easter or Passover weekend!

New Surgery Date

Hi all,
It looks like Monday, April 27th is the new surgery date for Dad. For now he's working on eating more protein and lowering his blood pressure.

Stay tuned for more details...

Surgery Update

Hi Everyone,

Quick recap - Dad went to Houston for tests on Fri. 3/20 on his way back from a quick biz trip to Vegas. Today, he & Mom were in Houston again to get results, see the surgeon and some other specialists, and plan for surgery. The surgeon has decided to postpone surgery 3-4 weeks because Dad's blood protein levels aren't as high as he would like. But the good news is that the doctor confirmed that Dad had handled the chemo/radiation treatment very well, the preliminary results of his thyroid biopsy are negative (a previous scan indicated there might be something so they have been monitoring it the last few months), and last but not least...

...the cancer has not spread AND the tumor has shrunk!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers, thoughts, and support. I hope to celebrate many more birthdays with my Dad.

Dad & Mom in Las Vegas

Here's a group photo from their recent trip to Las Vegas. Dad scored some great seats to see Aaron Neville! (John, Lee & Linda, Raysa & Nick, Anita & Vince-photo is front of their seats)

Change of Plans

Well it looks like Dad will have surgery on 3/30 instead of 3/25. His surgeon is out of town on the 25th (minor detail right?) Anyway, he sounded like he was geared up to have a good time w/Mom in Vegas this weekend to celebrate their 39th anniversary. Once we know his schedule for sure, I'll let you know. Have a good weekend!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I just had to share this photo of Dad tackling a 4 pound lobster at Red Lobster on our birthday last week. I only snuck a few bites!

Surgery Schedule

Hi all,
I know it's been awhile since I've blogged but it was nice for things to be "normal" for awhile. Anyway, as it looks now Dad will have surgery on Wednesday, March 25th. He has some pre-surgical appointments on Friday, March 20th and more again on Tuesday, March 24th.

He's in town this week and still planning to be in Vegas the week of March 12th for work and then with Mom to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. Time flies when you're having fun, right!?!

We miraculously got everyone together on Saturday afternoon to take family photos. We hadn't taken any in a studio since my senior year of college in 1998 so it was definitely overdue. It was relatively painless and Grandma Louise kept us entertained. I'll let you know when we get the proofs so you can see.

Until then...take care!

Pics from Abuelita's Birthday

Here's the whole family singing Happy Birthday!

Here's Mom with Aunt Brenda & Uncle John, the ever-gracious hosts!

Here's Uncle Rick & Dad chilling out.

Hurry up & wait (w/pics from Valentine's Day)

Well, we're waiting to hear the "final, final" schedule for Dad's surgery but it still looks like the end of March. As always, we'll try to keep you in the loop. It sounds like they might be in Houston 2-4 weeks depending on recovery but we'll see.

In the meantime, Dad returned home safe and sound from Salt Lake City and Abilene last Friday. He's taking it easy and working from home this week before he heads off to Anaheim this weekend. In mid-March, Mom will join Dad in Las Vegas to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary! Isn't that sweet? It's especially nice since that's where they got married on March 14, 1970 at The Chapel of the Bells. I hope Chris and I continue to have similar luck since we got married at the same place back in 2002!

Other than that, things have been busy for me at work but we did manage to get together with Crystal and Jonathan along with Mom and Dad for a Valentine's Day dinner at Del Frisco's. It was delicioso! Thanks again Dad!

On the road again...

Well Dad finished up his chemo drugs on Saturday and is hitting the road again on Monday for work as he heads off to Salt Lake City until Thursday then Abilene, TX before heading home Friday evening. So keep him in your thoughts that all goes well on this trip, esp. since it's so cold in Salt Lake City. Brrr!

Last Chemo Treatment!

Hi all! Dad was cleared to have his last chemotherapy treatment this morning. The doctor also cleared him to resume his regular medications and to finish the remaining 2.5 days worth of oral chemo drugs. His last radiation treatment is tomorrow, Feb. 6th. So Mom & Dad will be back in touch with his surgeon, Dr. Pisters, at MD Anderson early next week to see about any pre-surgical appointments and scheduling his surgery around late March or April. Overall, he's done very well during his treatment in maintaining his weight around 200 lbs and is just now experiencing a slowdown in his appetite within the last week.

Thanks again for your continued support and I'll keep you posted.

"Home" stretch

Hey folks,

Well, it looks like the treatment is finally kicking in. Dad went on a biz trip to Mississippi Friday AM and came back Saturday. He was pretty wiped out so Mom, Jonathan & Crystal picked him up from the airport so he wouldn't have to drive himself home. He lounged around this weekend and we went to watch the Super Bowl at their house and he seemed to be doing ok. Today was supposed to be his last chemo treatment through the infusion but his blood pressure, hemoglobin and platelets were too low so the doctor has postponed it and his oral chemo drugs until Thursday. He still had his radiation treatment this AM and they gave him fluids and potassium via IV. They'll run his labs again tomorrow to see if he's doing any better. He's done really well until just a few days ago so we're thankful for that. It looks like he may not make his trip to Salt Lake City next week but we'll see. Please send happy thoughts to Dad & Mom as they try to get through the home stretch of this phase of treatment.

Thank you!
Jennifer

Week 4 out of 5

Brrr! It's not supposed to be this cold in Texas! Hope y'all are staying safe & warm.

Dad started his 4th week of treatment and is still trucking along. His weight and blood pressure have stabilized nicely as has his hemoglobin, thanks to the addition of a 3rd iron supplement per day. He's even going on a short business trip this Friday. And in case you were wondering, he's as ornery as ever! In other words, he's pretty darn normal. (Sorry Dad but it's true & we love you for it!)

Treatment Update: Week 3 of 5

Hi everyone,
I thought I would provide a quick update on Dad's treatment. I guess we shouldn't be surprised but Dad is still pushing along through his treatment without ANY side effects! Even his local team of physicians is surprised at how well he's doing. We suggested he might be a good candidate for a case study!

We're very happy this is the case and proud of how he's handling the whole thing. He's got his routine down and still drives himself to and from The Center every morning. Mom goes with him on Mondays since he's there longer, from about 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, and he sees Dr. Xiong during that time too. He's also been in touch with Dr. Pisters at MD Anderson in Houston to get on his schedule for surgery, possibly in early March.

His weight and blood pressure have re-stabilized and he seems healthier than before he went into the hospital in late October 2008. They continue to watch his hemoglobin or iron levels since he's borderline anemic. But he was that way well before his hospitalization and diagnosis so they aren't terribly concerned. More spinach, broccoli or even liver and onions for Dad! :-)

Anyways, that's all for now. Thanks again for your continued support!

Portraits of Vince & Anita

Mom & Dad took some portraits on New Year's Eve before we went to dinner. Here's a sample. Aren't they cute?

Dad is still feeling good. He had a tiny touch of upset stomach on Monday evening but took his Rx for that right away, sucked on some peppermints & was back on track. Depending on how he feels after treatment, he may even sneak in a few business trips before surgery!

Until next time...

1 Week Down, 4 To Go

Hi all,
I visited Mom, Dad & Grandma yesterday after work and Dad still isn't experiencing any side effects. He's eating well, resting when he needs to, and working a pretty good schedule. He has completed his 1st week of chemo/radiation treatment and has 4 more to go. We'll keep you posted as we count down the weeks.

Have a good weekend!

So far so good...

Dad met with his radiation oncologist yesterday morning after treatment. Dr. LaNasa said that since Dad wasn't yet experiencing any side effects from the radiation that he most likely won't. We're hopeful that any side effects he may begin to experience from the chemotherapy will be minimal as well. Stay tuned!

Treatment Center

Just thought might want to know where Dad is being treated...

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders
http://www.texascancercare.com/default.aspx

Dr. Henry Xiong - medical oncologist
Dr. Peter LaNasa - radiation oncologist

(mini) Happy Dance

Hi everyone,

We got some good news today that calls for a "happy dance" albeit a mini one. Dad received the results of his PET scan and it appears that the cancer has NOT spread to the surrounding lymph nodes or anywhere else in his body. His thyroid is enlarged a bit and something they are going to check further but his medical oncologist did not seem concerned with this just now.

So he has finished his 1st day of radiation/chemo treatment with flying colors and we hope he's able to sustain that along with much of his normal routine. When I spoke to him this evening, he sounded better than I had heard him in weeks. Thank y'all for all your love, support, and prayers - it means a lot to all of us to know so many people are pulling for him through this!

Pics from New Year's Eve

(Chris, Jennifer, Dad, Mom, Silvia & Dionicio)

(Silvia, Chris & Dionicio)

(Dad, Jen & Mom)

Wishing you & yours a wonderful 2009!

On your mark, get set...

...go! Well not quite but very soon. Dad met with the radiation folks this AM to run through another simulation as part of the prep for his 1st radiation treatment on Mon.

On a different note, for New Year's Day Dad made his annual batch of black-eyed peas, rice & ham hocks but rounded out the meal with rhutabagas and fresh lobster. Yum!

Stay tuned for some pictures of our New Year's Eve dinner at Lambert's to be posted before the weekend is out...