Time to Rest

Yesterday, Dad was supposed to have chemo in Seattle... key word being "supposed" to.  That didn't happen.  He hasn't felt well in quite a while and it's fair to say that he never recovered from his last round of chemo two weeks ago.  For the past two weekends my dad has spent the majority of his time on the couch, sleeping, with a painful look on his face and a heating pad on his chest.  Dad just hasn't been himself and he would be the first to admit it.

Prior to making the trip to Seattle yesterday we had already spoken to his oncology nurse in Seattle and it was determined that he wasn't well enough to have another round of chemo.  They did however want to see him and get some blood work.  We arrived in Seattle just before 8am, with over two hours already behind us.  All of us were exhausted and dad looked visibly frustrated.  I asked him what his number was for the day... with one being bad and ten being good.  He told me he was a 4.  He had reported that he was a 5.8 on Sunday (the .8 due to the Olympics that were on the TV screen) and a 6 on Monday, so the 4 caught me off guard.  He hadn't been eating as much this past week so we weren't surprised to learn that he had lost 6-8 pounds since his last appointment.

After talking to the doctor it was determined that dad needed to get a chest/abdomen CT scan prior to heading home.  They said it was possible that he would be hospitalized due to the unusual pain he was experiencing in his chest.  We were happy that a scan was scheduled because we really believed that something was wrong.  My dad doesn't complain about anything but he has really been uncomfortable this past week.  The only bad part was that he couldn't eat before the scan and the scan was scheduled for 2:30pm.... 5 hours away.  We found a little cubby hole in the waiting room and made it "home."  Mom fell asleep on the mini couch with her oxygen tank, and dad fell asleep in the chair.  That is how most of the day was spent.

His CT scan took place as scheduled and we met with the doctor immediately after.  He told us that nothing alarming was discovered on the chest CT scan, and certainly nothing that would be causing such severe discomfort.  Unfortunately though, the CT of his liver showed a 20% growth from the last scan.  The cancer progression and the rising CEA counts are indications that his chemo is not working.  This chemo combination was the last thing his doctor had as an option.  So, as of now my dad has stopped his  treatment and he will let his body begin to detox from the three straight years of chemo.  If any of his discomfort is from too much chemo in his system, he will begin to feel better in the next few weeks.  As far as the cancer goes, we can only hope that it too will "rest" as my dad takes some time off.

There was supposed to be a new clinical trial in April for my dad's type of cancer but it has now been moved tentatively to May.  If the trial does in fact happen, and my dad is feeling well enough to sign up for it, he will certainly have that option.  Right now though, he needs to rest, eat, and give his body a break from all of the harsh chemicals.  Time will tell how his body responds.

All of this news is still fresh and new and a little difficult to swallow.  With that being said, please continue to keep my parents in your thoughts as you go about your normal day.  We are a strong group and we are appreciating each other more than ever.  Thank you for your continued support.

Dream Big-
Amy