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.