Happy Holidays

Katie, Doug & Willie

Aaron, Madison, Taylor & Niki

We would like to take this moment to wish you all a very Happy Holiday. As this is our first Christmas without dad, we realize that for the past 9 months - many of you have welcomed us into your own family. Whether you were a friend of Dads, or Aaron's, or mine - or even a friend of a friend - thank you for going on this journey with us. While we believe that the doctors at Duke gave Dad great care and more time, it is important to remember that the love and prayers that everyone was offering to us - helped tremendously.

From our family to yours - we wish you happy holidays and a healthy 2008. Thanks for reading.

Thank You

We would like to take a moment to thank everyone for your support of our dad and our family the past year. Throughout his illness, Dad's mailbox was always full of cards and his cellphone constantly ringing. Dad spent 13 days in the nursing home and received over 40 visitors.

We would especially like to thank friends and family for celebrating his life with us on Sunday. We know that many people traveled great distances, in bad weather to make it. The chapel was decorated with beautiful flowers and we shared wonderful stories about Dad's life. Thank you for everything.

A slide show was created and shown at the funeral home. It is now available online. Click here to see the slide show or pictures. Once you are on the page, select Movie.

Aaron & Katie

Tribute

Arthur Dean Eckerberg

Arthur Dean Eckerberg, 67, of Gravois Mills, Mo., passed away December 10, 2007, in Olathe, Kan., from cancer. Dean was born November 10, 1940, to Orville and Irene (Evans) Eckerberg in Olathe, Kan. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, December 16, 2007, at 2 p.m., at McGilley & Hoge Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204. A visitation will be held from 1-2 p.m. preceding the service.

Contributions may be made to Duke University, Arthur Eckerberg Memorial Fund, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, 512 S. Mangum St., Suite 400, Durham, NC 27701. He is survived by his son, Aaron Eckerberg and wife Nicole, of Oceanside, Calif.; daughter, Kathryn Burgess and husband Doug of Durham, N.C.; grandchildren Taylor and Madison Eckerberg; a brother, Carl Eckerberg and wife Helen; a sister, Maryanne Duffield and husband Gary and former wife Ceil Witt.

Dean was a former Army Paratrooper, 82nd Airborne Division and raised his family in Platte City, Mo. He worked at the IATAN Power Plant and retired to the Lake of the Ozarks. He was known to many as a son, a brother, a soldier, a father, a Scout leader, and a grandpa. Mostly, he was known as a friend. Arrangements are by: McGilley & Hoge Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park, Kan., (913) 642-3565.

Click to see online original published in the Kansas City Star on 12/13/2007.

Correction

(Please note, the email address that I provided earlier was incorrect. If you sent a story to our friend Billy - please resend to the following address.)

Since you all knew my dad, you know that he told the best stories. We are hoping to give a proper tribute to him - with stories that he would have loved. Please share any memories that you may have of him. Our dear friend Billy will be collecting these - Feel free to email him at billyclark32@yahoo.com or call him at 760.213.8457.

Arthur Eckerberg Memorial Fund

We cannot say enough wonderful things about the care that Dad received while receiving treatments at Duke. We truly believe that Dad's excellent doctor and nurse improved and extended his life. In addition they were wonderful people to our entire family - especially Dad. They are also paving the way in research for Lung Cancer Patients. The memorial fund that we have set up for Dad will go to help in this research at Duke.

Click here to meet dad's oncology team.

Services

Sunday, December 16

Visitation 1:00 PM preceding

Memorial Service 2:00 PM

Both at: McGilley & Hoge Johnson County Memorial Chapel

8024 Santa Fe Drive

Overland Park, KS 66204

913.642.3565

Memorial Gathering Refreshments Served

3:00-6:00 PM

Matt Ross Community Center

8101 Marty

Overland Park, KS 66204

913.895.6390

Memorial Service

Services are as follows:
Sunday, December 16
1:00 PM Visitation
2:00 PM Memorial Service
3:00-5:00 PM Coffee & Dessert (Location TBD)

McGilley & Hoge Johnson County Memorial Chapel
8024 Santa Fe Drive
Overland Park, KS 66204
913.642.3565

Since you all knew my dad, you know that he told the best stories. We are hoping to give a proper tribute to him - with stories that he would have loved. Please share any memories that you may have of him. Our dear friend Billy will be collecting these - Feel free to email him at billyclark32@yahoo.com or call him at 760.213.8457.

In Loving Memory

With a great deal of sadness, we must tell you that Dad passed away this morning. He was surrounded by family and a lot of love. He was not in pain and his passing was blessedly swift. I will post details for the services as soon as they are available.

With Love,
Aaron & Katie

New Digs

After a seven month hiatus in Durham, North Carolina, Dad is back near his old stomping ground - in Olathe, Kansas.

While receiving treatment at Duke, Dad received eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiation to over one third of his body. His determination is truly amazing and his positive attitude is admired by everyone - especially Aaron and I. As you can imagine, Dad charmed his way into the hearts and minds of all the doctors, nurses and our friends here in Durham.

Dad's determination has afforded him some time to spend with his family and friends back in Kansas City. He will no longer be receiving treatments, his body has endured so much, that it cannot take any more of the harsh treatments.

Dad made the decision to come back to Kansas City in order to be close to more family and friends. While Aaron and I would have fought over him being close to one of us, he was homesick and chose to be closer to home.

Additionally, because Dad's body is so weak from the treatments and cancer, he needed more care than we were able to provide for him at home. Aaron spent the majority of his Thanksgiving holiday doing research and moving Dad into a nursing home -where they can monitor his health and medicines on a constant basis. If you are in the area, he would love to see you - and if you visit be sure to sign his visitor log.

Royal Terrace Nursing & Rehab Center
Dean Eckerberg - Room 111B
201 E Flaming Rd.
Olathe, KS 66061

He can also receive mail at the above address and he is still accessible on his mobile phone. If you do visit, please be aware that he sleeps a lot these days. If you are there, be sure to wake him up and visit with him - he would hate to miss a you!

Thanks to everyone for the continued support of our family. We have had a tough few weeks and we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Aaron & Niki
Doug & Katie

Giving Thanks

Dad traveled back to Kansas City for Thanksgiving. He is really enjoying seeing so many friends and family. We continue to be amazed at the support and love from everyone. Thank you.

(My dad's sister - Marianne with her granddaughter Rieke. Marianne is taking good care of dad while he is in Kansas City)

(At Madison & cousin Parker's baptism. Dad, Taylor, Niki, Aaron, Madison, Grandpa John and my mom)

(Dad - disguised as Santa - Madison and Niki)

( Dad, Aaron and all of the guys from KCP&L - meeting for lunch.)

Happy Birthday, Dean!

We celebrated Dad's birthday on Saturday with breakfast at our favorite diner and a special birthday dinner. No birthday cake for this 67 year old, he requested an apple pie.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes - the cards and phone calls made this a great week!

Playing Hooky

(Our beautiful Fall centerpiece - thanks, Mom!)

Dad and I met with his oncologist last Thursday to discuss pain management and assessment of Dad's health. We are continuing to use pain "patches" on his left leg/hip to help with the pain. This method helps with surface pain but not deep pain, so Dad has continued to take pain medicine, as well.

Additionally, because Dad got such a heavy dose of chemo the week before, we decided to play hooky last week and give Dad a week off. We will go back to the doctor this Thursday. Thanks for all the continued support! We are looking forward to seeing many of you in Kansas City over Thanksgiving.

Chemo - Take Seven

(It has finally cooled off here in North Carolina - helping us get ready for Halloween)

Yesterday, Dad went to the eye doctor for his final checkup. Things appear to be all healed, which is great. Today, Dad had an appointment with his oncologist for a check up to see if he was ready for chemo.

The good news is that Dad's white blood cell counts were back up and he was cleared to receive chemotherapy today. However, his red cell count was pretty low - so we have scheduled a blood transfusion for tomorrow, which should boost those numbers back up.

Dad also received a prescription for pain medicine patches for his hip. We will see if this new approach will give Dad even more relief.

Repeat Blog

Well, this may seem like a repeat blog from last week. Dad was once again scheduled for chemotherapy on Thursday, but was unable to have treatment because his white blood count is so low. He did receive an immune booster shot - to help ward off any infections. We will go back to the doctor next Thursday for more tests.

We are happy to report that the pain medicine that Dad is taking is helping with his leg/hip pain and he is getting around a bit better than before.

Chemo - Take Six

(Photo of Harry S. Truman - whenever we visit the oncologist, we get both a dose of medicine and a dose of Missouri history, which usually centers around President Harry S. Truman. Dad's oncologist is a history buff and lived in St. Louis for many years.)

Last Thursday, we had Dad's sixth chemotherapy treatment or his second weekly treatment. The treatment is actually a shorter therapy, so he is the hospital for a shorter amount of time which is a nice change for Dad. He also saw his surgeon for a follow up appointment.

Today, we saw Dad's oncologist and we were scheduled for our seventh chemo. However, it was determined that Dad's body was not "up for" chemo today. His white blood count is extremely low, which means that he is susceptible for infections. Giving him another dose of chemo before we bump up his counts could be possibly dangerous.

So, today instead of chemo, Dad got an immune booster shot. He will also be taking a antibiotic as a precaution for fevers and infections. He will also begin taking a stronger pain killer, which we hope will begin to help with his leg/hip pain.

We meet again with the doctor in one week. At that time, we will have new tests and possibly do our next round of chemotherapy.

Chemo- Take Five

It has been a busy few weeks. We completed Dad's course of radiation last Tuesday. Everyone was so nice in Radiation Oncology, but we were ready to say good bye to the daily appointments.

Then on Thursday, Dad began his new course of chemotherapy. Dad will receive that chemotherapy every Thursday for the next few weeks. But not only has the frequency changed, so have the drugs themselves. The new drugs, which we hope are targeting the new cancer spots, are causing Dad to be even more tired.

We had a nice relaxing weekend at home, the weather is finally cooling down here which has been a nice change.

A Change in Plans

(Dad bonding with our new puppy - Willie)

After many doctor's appointments, tests and procedures- we still cannot definitively determine the pain in Dad's leg. Last Thursday and today was spent consulting with the doctor's about pain, the cancer and how we would proceed.

We have determined the two most likely culprits:
1. The pin in Dad's leg is rubbing on soft tissue, causing inflammation and ultimately the pain. The surgeon who performed the surgery gave dad a steroid shot to reduce inflammation. While this gave Dad a small amount of relief, it wasn't significant.

2. With all the new tests, we have identified a growing tumor in Dad's sacrum(hip/butt bone). The tumor is double the size it was in May. This tumor could be hitting a nerve and causing the pain. Treatment for this would be radiation to the spot to hopefully relieve pain and reduce the tumor in size.

We are moving forward with radiation which will begin tomorrow and be everyday for five days. In addition, we are increasing chemotherapy to once a week (instead of every month) and changing the drugs in order to blast these certain cancer spots that are still growing (sacrum, liver, etc.)

We hope that these changes to our plan will mean improvement for Dad's overall health and decrease his leg pain.

Pain in the Leg

Last week, Dad suddenly began having severe leg/hip pain on his left side. The pain has slowed him down quite a bit, forcing him to depend on crutches once again. Dad's orthopedic surgeon was able to see him last week and could not find the source of the problem.

Yesterday, we saw Dad's oncologist who is extremely thorough and has promised to try find the source of the pain. Over the next few days, Dad will have a series of tests and meet with the doctors again next Thursday. We hope that the problem is not serious and can be easily remedied.

On a fun note, we have also made Dad's travel arrangements for this Thanksgiving Holiday. He will be flying home with us on Wednesday, November 21 - arriving in Kansas City in the morning. He will be staying in Kansas City until December 15 and hoping to have a chance to see lots of friends and family on his visit. If you are going to be in the area - we know he would love to see you.

Hurricane Dean/Chemo Take 4

(Photo of Hurricane Dean - which hit land this week. We saw lots of coverage of the storm while we were waiting in the hospital this week.)

Much like Hurricane Dean- our dad Dean has been proving his strength to a lot of people. Last week, we had another good eye appointment. His retinal tear seems to be healing wonderfully. In addition, on Thursday he had a bunch of tests including CT and PET scans.

Aaron, Dad & I all met with Dad's oncologist yesterday. Upon examination, the doctor thinks Dad is doing better - he is walking better, exercising more and feeling good Dad has lost nearly 75 lbs in 3 months. And while this is not a great way to do it, we feel that the less weight on his leg is good - along with overall a healthier body, heart, etc. Dad is still anemic and so another blood transfusion was scheduled.

Then we began reviewing dad's new labs in comparison to his old results with the doctor. Dad's cancer is the same or smaller in his brain, lung and bones. This is great news. However, it appears to have spread/grown in his liver.

There are two possibilities for these results:

1. The cancers have mutated and are not reacting to the chemotherapy in the same way.

2. The doctor's who did his two sets of tests read the results differently.

We had two options on moving forward with chemo:

1. Stay the course of current treatment/drugs and get more tests in two months to see how the liver is doing

2. Aggressively treat the liver cancer with a drug that has serious side effects for Dad's situation

The doctor was leaning toward the less aggressive treatment, because dad's liver function still appears to be good. As a family, we have decided to go with Option 1 and keep the same treatment for the next two months. At that point, if the liver is worse - we will consider the aggressive treatment plan.

After our appointment yesterday, Aaron & Dad stuck around for chemo - ending their long day of waiting and waiting rooms around 5:00. Today, they headed back to the hospital for a immune booster shot and blood transfusion.

We consider this a milestone in Dad's treatment and we have been so lucky to be all together as a family this week.

Little Visitors

(Taylor with Dad - in-between a marathon Ring Around The Roses session)
(The Birthday Girl Madison- up and walking around!)

With my brother in the vicinity, we have had some visitors this weekend. Along with Aaron, we have hosted his wife Niki, mother-in-law Pauline and two daughters Taylor & Madison. So along with our new puppy, our house is quite full these days- which has been so much fun. Dad has really enjoyed the visitors - especially his granddaughters who have grown so much!

Dad has several appointments this week including a series of tests on Thursday that will evaluate how he is responding to the treatments. Aaron will be staying with us all next week, so we are looking forward to that - as well. We hope you all are doing well - Thanks again for all the support.

Road Trip

(Image from WWII Memorial in Washington DC, which we saw this weekend- photo courtesy of AudeVivere)

Dad is currently between treatments and my brother Aaron is working in Virginia - so we thought a road trip was in order. Leaving Friday after work, we traveled to Alexandria, VA and left dad with Aaron and family friend Jim. The guys had a nice relaxing weekend, including a trip up to DC to see the new WWII Memorial. They also spent some time with Marine Corps/Platte City friends Greg, Michelle & Lauren.

Overall, everybody had a wonderful weekend which was a nice break from our ordinary routine. Aaron will be visiting us again in Durham soon & Dad has this week off from all doctor's appointments.

Chemo - Take 3

Yesterday, Dad and I met with his oncologist to discuss his health and the road ahead for treatments. The doctor seems to think that Dad is responding well to the treatments and that his condition is improving. Dad's lungs sound better and his cough has diminished. While we have to wait until next months for the tests to verify this, we consider this good news.

Dad received his third chemotherapy treatment after his doctor appointment. This process is becoming more familar to all of us. And even though he was at the hospital all day, Dad's spirits were still up in the evening to go out to dinner and do a little shopping.

Independence Day

(These signs have been up at Duke since we began treatment there. They were promoting smoke-free hospitals that went into effect July 4 - Independence Day. The signs read: "Beginning July 4, 2007, the use of tobacco products will not be permitted inside or outside any Duke Medicine hospital campus, outpatient facility, physicians or administrative offices, or medical and nursing schools. By providing a tobacco-free environment for our patients, visitors, physicians, and employees, we’re doing our part to promote health.")

Besides celebrating the 4th of July at a friend's BBQ, we had a busy week last week. Dad saw his surgeon on Thursday, got new x-rays, etc. This was a follow up from his leg surgery. The surgery was a success but Dad still has a lot of pain in his hip at the fusion site. This is normal for this type of surgery and continued exercise will help with this pain.

We also saw a new doctor who will function as Dad's primary care physician while he is here. It was just a checkup - but we did determine that Dad's heart has gone back into that irregular rhythm. They have adjusted his medicine and we will continue to monitor that situation.

We hope you all had a safe holiday!

Week Off

On Wednesday of last week, Dad went to the hospital to receive his normal post-chemo immune booster shot. While he was there, he also received a blood transfusion and radiation to his leg. The blood transfusion was a long process that took several hours. We are hoping this treatment will begin to help to increase his energy levels.

The radiation for his leg was administered in one treatment, which is nice for all of us. Since Dad currently has so many appointments scheduled - a one time therapy was much appreciated.

We had a restful weekend and are grateful for a "week off" from doctor's appointments.

Chemo- Take 2

(The photo above is from Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG site. Aaron researched and ordered this notebook or Survivorship Guide to give to my dad. These are available online for free from the LIVESTRONG Foundation. If you know anybody battling cancer, it is a wonderful tool.)

Today was a long day in the hospital. We started out at Dad's oncologist - with a check up and blood work. There we determined that Dad's is anemic meaning his blood counts are very low, which we suspect is causing his extreme fatigue. It was decided that he would receive a blood transfusion tomorrow to help bump up those levels and hopefully boost his energy.

We then met with a new doctor - a Radiation Oncologist. This new doctor evaluated his bone cancer (the cancer that does not respond as well to the chemo). Dad will be receiving a radiation treatment for his left leg - hopefully as soon as tomorrow. We are holding off on any additional radiation for the time being.

And last but not least, Dad got his second Chemotherapy treatment today. He will receive another treatment in July and then be evaluated for effectiveness. As always, thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Back to the Pool

We received some good news at Dad's last two appointments. First, the MRI of Dad's brain confirms that the radiation has dramatically shrunk the tumors in his brain. While he is not permitted to drive yet - he will be evaluated again in August and will possibly be behind the wheel before the end of summer.

Dad had the staples removed from his leg last week, which is a nice milestone. It also means he can now go swimming - which has been good exercise for him this week. As many of you know, Dad participated in water aerobics back home, so it is nice for him to get back in the pool.

Additionally, we had a check up on dad's eye surgery today. The laser surgery that was done last week seems to have contained the problem and they feel he is recovering nicely. So a good week before we begin Round 2 of Chemotherapy next Tuesday.

When It Rains, It Pours

(Dad's new plant by his bedside- Thanks Aunt Barbara & Uncle Jerry!)

Since it rained last night in Durham, we thought this was a fitting title to our blog this week. Dad met with a home health physical therapist on Monday. He helped dad with some exercises to strengthen his leg and gave his some pointers to get around the house. He needs to walk on his leg- so we plan to make that a priority. Overall, it was a positive experience and we were grateful for the home health service.

We have also identified another eye problem. When Dad went to the eye doctor on Sunday, a retinal tear was identified in his right eye. An appointment was set up and laser surgery performed Wednesday morning to repair the damage.

Dad continues to stay positive, thanks to all the well wishes from all of you. He is also feeling physically stronger everyday- due to each day passing from his chemotherapy treatment.

Back Home

Dad was released from the hospital Tuesday night. After being admitted for almost 6 days, he was ready to be at home. He has some weakness in his left leg- where he had surgery. We think some additional rehab might be needed. We have contacted a home health service and hope that he can get some assistance at the house. They will be coming to the house on Monday.

Dad has been catching up on his sleep since he has been home. He is pretty tired from his time in the hospital and the chemotherapy. We enjoyed a nice dinner last night together - which is a step in the right direction.

We have fixed Dad's phone - for the time being, so feel free to give him a call on that.

Rehabilitation Time

Dad received his leg surgery on Friday afternoon. After a long post-op, he was back in his room by 10:30 pm. The surgery went well, but he is still in the hospital recovering from the surgery. While he is there, he is doing rehab to strengthen his leg. He is already walking and negotiating stairs.

Many of you may have noticed that he is not answering his cellphone. The phone is broken and while we try to get it replaced - feel free to call dad directly in his hospital room. Please email me directly if you would like the number.

This has been a long week for Dad in the hospital -so we are hoping he will be released soon.

A Room With A View

(Dad's view from his hospital room at Duke Hospital)

Dad got the VIP treatment when being admitted to the hospital and got a room with a view of Duke Chapel. This picture does not do it justice - it was taken from a camera phone. For those of you who have not been to Durham you can click on the link above to truly appreciate the beauty of this landmark.

Since medicine was not bringing his heart rate down, yesterday Dad got a TEE or TransEsophageal Echo to check for blood clots. Once that was negative, he received Cardioversion which is a brief procedure where an electrical shock is delivered to the heart to convert an abnormal heart rhythm back to a normal rhythm.

We visited him last night and he is doing great. His heart rate was lowered and a normal rhythm. They kept him on the Cardiac floor for observation again last night. He is scheduled for leg surgery today- which is a positive step toward getting him mobile again.

One Day at a Time

On Wednesday, Dad was scheduled for an "immune booster" shot and consultation with a Occupational Surgeon. Long story short, the bone cancer that has been found in Dad's leg has compromised the integrity of the bone. They are worried about him breaking his leg because it is so weak.

Besides the crutches that Dad has been using, the surgeon suggested a surgery to reinforce the bone - with a metal pin. They squeezed Dad in and scheduled him for a pre-op appointment yesterday afternoon and surgery on Friday.

During his pre-op appointment, the doctor became concerned about dad's increased heart rate. He was then transferred to the Emergency Department for additional tests (EKG, chest X-Ray). When the medicine they gave him did not decrease his heart rate, he was admitted to the cardiac floor for monitoring overnight. The doctor's believe he has Atrial Fibrillation or possibly Atrial Flutter. Which is not considered too serious, but they want to understand the cause and control the rate.

Dad continues to feel normal, he has no symptoms from the increased heart rate and so far no nausea from the chemotherapy. He is still admitted in the hospital. Currently, we don't know how this will affect his treatment or surgery schedule. All we can do is take this one day at a time.

One Down

(Dad's powerful chemo drugs on his IV pole)

Yesterday, Dad received his first chemotherapy treatment. I met him at the hospital where the nurse gave us explicit instructions on how dad needs to take care of himself during chemo. This includes drinking a lot of water, gargling, checking his temperature and other miscellaneous things to make sure he stays as healthy as possible.

He then received two chemotherapy drugs. Each drug took one hour to be infused through his IV. He then received another "bone building" drug - aiming at repairing the bone that has been damaged with tumors.

During the 2 plus hour treatment - Dad watched sports, flirted with the nurses and took a nap. He continues to feel well, but these long days at the hospital are making him very tired. Hopefully a long weekend of rest will help with that.

Released & The Plan

(Our view of the hospital's life flight helicopter from Dad's floor)

Dad got out of the hospital Wednesday afternoon once he received his final PET Scan. We celebrated his release by having dinner with friends in Chapel Hill. Our old neighbors from Platte City were in town and we had a great time catching up together.

On Thursday, Dad and I met with his oncologist to follow up on his tests and develop a treatment plan. Chemo will start next Tuesday and will be administered in 3-4 week cycles for 4-6 treatments. We also stayed for some additional tests and spent quite a lot of time scheduling all of his upcoming appointments (chemo, immune booster shots, radiologist consults, more MRI's, etc.) If anybody is interested in knowing his appointment schedule, I have added a calendar at the bottom of the page.

His chemo will be targeted the areas that we have identified cancer.
1. Lung - left upper lobe (large mass)
2. Brain - 3 small lesions (have already been treated with radiation therapy)
3. Liver nodules - numerous small tumors
4. Right Pelvis/Hip - bone cancer (have already been treated with radiation therapy)
5. Left Femur - bone cancer.
Our new doctor has identified the pain that began this process. A bone tumor has been detected in dad's left femur. While more Cancer is never good news, we are happy to know the source of his pain, in hopes that we can now treat it.

We continue to be so pleased with the level of care that Dad is receiving at Duke and the Morris Cancer Center.

Tests in the hospital

(Dad and Aaron waiting for admission to the hospital)

Monday was a long (but good) day at the hospital. We arrived at Morris Cancer Center at 12:45 for our first appointment at Duke. After blood tests, we met with the doctor. We all really like

dad's new oncologist. After going through his history, the doctor admitted dad to the hospital for a bunch of tests. Since we would like to move forward with chemo as soon as possible, the doctor thought admission would get everything done more efficiently.

We finished at the Cancer clinic and dad was wheeled over to the hospital admission in style (wheelchair, of course). We went out to eat before finally getting admitted at 9:00 p.m.

He got a good night sleep last night and began getting tests at the hospital this morning at 7:00 a.m. This included a chest X-Ray, Bone scan and MRI. One Wednesday he is scheduled to receive a PET scan. We will meet with the oncologist again on Thursday once the tests have all been done and reviewed.

Radiation Done

We are happy to let you know that Dad has finished his course of radiation. His doctors have also dramatically decreased his steroid medication - which we consider a good step.

He has also begun taking medication to regulate his blood sugar. He has a follow up eye appointment tomorrow. So far, his eye seems better and is healing very well.

Overall, Dad is happy to be done with this part of treatment and is looking forward to a few days of rest.

Eye Surgery

After a trip to the eye doctor yesterday, Dad was diagnosed with a detached retina. He has had some blurry vision since getting his new glasses prescription recently. The doctors do not seem to think that this is a result of his cancer or treatment. However, his blood sugar has been a little wacky and high blood sugar can be a cause of detachment.

He had surgery Friday morning to repair his eye. It was a quick, outpatient procedure. The doctors believe the surgery went very well.

Today also marks the end of another week of radiation. He will have the weekend off to rest and recover. And then one more week of treatment before leaving for North Carolina.

On The Move (Kansas City & North Carolina)

Dean was diagnosed with lung cancer late in March 2007. It was a complete shock, he didn't have any symptoms. His doctor was trying to determine the cause of some leg pain which, in turn, prompted a chest x-ray. He has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer which has metastasized to his liver and abdomen. In addition they found lesions on his brain which required radiation.

The doctors have told him not to drive because of possible seizures. Since my dad lived by himself at the Lake, he couldn't stay in his current living situation while pursuing treatment. So we packed him up and closed up his house. He started radiation in Kansas City while staying with Aaron, by brother, and his wife, Niki. Then Dad will come out to North Carolina to get chemotherapy while staying with my husband Doug and me. Aaron and Scott (a family friend) have arranged to drive him out to our house.

His appointment with his new doctor is May 14, 2007. We will know more at that time and will be sure to let you know. We would appreciate all your thoughts, prayers in the coming months. I will continue to keep you updated.

Let's Try This - Our First Blog

(Dean with granddaughters Taylor and Madison)

First let me say, how truly amazing it has been to receive so many thoughtful emails and phone calls from friends and family. As my dad, Aaron and I continue to receive emails and inquiries, we thought a blog might be the best way to keep everybody updated on his treatment. This way friends and family can check on his progress at your convenience.

There are two ways to get updates from this site:

1. Add this site to your favorites and check it whenever you like for updates.

2. Or, if you would like to be emailed when whenever we add a post, please subscribe to the blog by adding your email address into the box on the left. I have researched this service and you will not receive junk mail as a result of subscribing.

If you decide to subscribe, you will be taken to FeedBlitz.com. You will then receive an email in which you will need to confirm your subscription by clicking on a link in the email. Feel free to contact me with any questions.