It seems that Dave's journey has taken a detour for now. It's been a rough few weeks as you read in the last post. Dave has been hospitalized for fluid in the pleura sac around his right lung which was drained but has since returned. Last week was spent going to all the doctors involved with his case. He also had another trip to the ER, where finally a young doc. looked at his COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and started him on breathing treatments, and another chest x-ray, at which time we were also told the fluid was returning.
We also went to our PCP for aftercare and another chest x-ray (from hosp. stay) to take to the thoracic surgeon Dr. Lee this past Thursday, he scheduled Dave for a Thoradesis, not sure of correct spelling there (info. from hosp. says pleurodesis). This procedure will be done, Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at Akron City Hosp. This is a procedure where they will insert a chest tube to drain the fluid, then they will rough up or glue, so to speak the pleura to the outside wall of his rt. lung to prevent any more fluid to build up there. Dr. Lee believes that the fluid is coming from the area of cancer by his trachea. He will also be taking a biopsy of the pleura sac to check for any cancer. He will also be in the hosp. for 3-4 days after this is done.
At this time Dave is doing OK, his spirits are not the greatest as you suspect. Unfortunately any chemo. treatments that are scheduled have been put on hold until this procedure is done and he is healed from it. So, there has been a slight detour from his cancer care. Please pray that he will heal quickly from this so he can continue to fight the cancer. We love you and God Bless.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Where is this journey going?
What a week last week was, so very glad it's over! Dave and I went to see the PCP and he called for a chest x-ray as I mentioned in my last post, Dr. Koenig also got the results and ordered a Thoracentisis for Monday, March 28. So let this journey be told.
On March 28th Dave woke me at 3:00 am to take him to the ER because he was having extreme difficulty breathing. They ended up doing the thoracentisis early instead of the scheduled time that afternoon. They drained about a liter of fluid at that time. He started doing a bit better. By Wednesday March 30, he was not doing so good again. I took him back to the ER and they kept him this time. The amount of fluid that was drained on Monday had come back and was actually causing his lung to feel partially collapsed. The doctors were They were going to insert a chest tube on Thursday, but miscommunication between depts. didn't let the nurses or Dave know he was not to eat for 6 hours before procedure. He was not a happy camper at that time. The chest tube was inserted early Friday morning. By Saturday eve. he had drained almost 2 liters of fluid. The fluid drainage slowed down and by the time he was released it was almost 3 liters. His lung also reinflated on it's own and did not need to be reinflated by micro surgery. They did find out that the fluid was of a thick nature and indicated some kind of infection. If it had been thin, that would have indicated a kidney or heart problem. He was given IV antibioitics to fight the infection. Dave started feeling better and doing the best one can do in the hospital. He had a couple of annoying roommates who were loud as well as there visitors, lol. This part of the hosp. still does not have private or single rooms as most hosp. systems do now. Dave spent the week there, and was released on Friday, April 8. Dave was so glad to get home and everyone else was very happy!
The doctors have given Dave a choice as to what he wants to do for his future round of chemotherapy. It is between a new medication at the cancer ctr. in Akron or what is called a Phase 1 trial up at University Hosp. Siederman Cancer Ctr. This is actually all on hold till Dave is recovered from this last health problem. We will be seeing the Thoracic Droctor, Dr. Lee and Dr. Koenig as well as our PCP in two weeks. We will then know more as to where this journey is going.
Thank you to everyone for your well wishes, texts, and visits during my hospital stay. We love you and God Bless.
On March 28th Dave woke me at 3:00 am to take him to the ER because he was having extreme difficulty breathing. They ended up doing the thoracentisis early instead of the scheduled time that afternoon. They drained about a liter of fluid at that time. He started doing a bit better. By Wednesday March 30, he was not doing so good again. I took him back to the ER and they kept him this time. The amount of fluid that was drained on Monday had come back and was actually causing his lung to feel partially collapsed. The doctors were They were going to insert a chest tube on Thursday, but miscommunication between depts. didn't let the nurses or Dave know he was not to eat for 6 hours before procedure. He was not a happy camper at that time. The chest tube was inserted early Friday morning. By Saturday eve. he had drained almost 2 liters of fluid. The fluid drainage slowed down and by the time he was released it was almost 3 liters. His lung also reinflated on it's own and did not need to be reinflated by micro surgery. They did find out that the fluid was of a thick nature and indicated some kind of infection. If it had been thin, that would have indicated a kidney or heart problem. He was given IV antibioitics to fight the infection. Dave started feeling better and doing the best one can do in the hospital. He had a couple of annoying roommates who were loud as well as there visitors, lol. This part of the hosp. still does not have private or single rooms as most hosp. systems do now. Dave spent the week there, and was released on Friday, April 8. Dave was so glad to get home and everyone else was very happy!
The doctors have given Dave a choice as to what he wants to do for his future round of chemotherapy. It is between a new medication at the cancer ctr. in Akron or what is called a Phase 1 trial up at University Hosp. Siederman Cancer Ctr. This is actually all on hold till Dave is recovered from this last health problem. We will be seeing the Thoracic Droctor, Dr. Lee and Dr. Koenig as well as our PCP in two weeks. We will then know more as to where this journey is going.
Thank you to everyone for your well wishes, texts, and visits during my hospital stay. We love you and God Bless.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Can't Get A Break!
Here we are at the end of another road and what a road it's been! Dave finished up his chemotherapy treatments at the end of January, 2011. He had to return to the infusion ctr. weekly for his lab work and to see if he needed any magnesium. Your probably asking why the mag? The one Erbitux medication that he had weekly also depletes the magnesium levels that is in your body. It is very important as it helps with muscles, and your heart, which is a muscle. The first three weeks he had to have 6 grams of it, which means a four to six hour stay. Dave was also experiencing some difficulty with swelling and pain on the right side of his body. The did not do the mag. one week and he started doing better. Dr. Koenig wanted his mag. levels to be at 1.7 at the minimum. At his last blood draw on Monday, March 21 they were 1.5 so he received 4 grams and was there about a total of 4 hours. Dr. Koenig also called for an ultrasound of his right arm to rule out any blood clots due to the swelling and pain there. That test showed no blood clots!
Now to his pet/ct scans that were done in early March, we also got the results of those on March 21. The results were not what we wanted to hear, there is still some residual in the upper thoracic area, and a new spot has showed up adjacent to the right side of his trachea, and some fluid buildup around his rt. lung. Dave says "it seems like I just can't catch a break" so he is going to fight, with me by his side cheering him on.
We also met with Dr. Rezaee on Tuesday from University Hosp. in Cleveland. That was the usual checkup visit and also to go over his treatments and scans. The doctors, meaning, Dr. Rezaee, Dr. Koenig and Dr. Savvides (UH Oncologist) are putting there heads together to see what kind of different treatments can be done. There checking to see if there are any Phase I trials out there, if so we may have to go to Cleveland or Canton (which is a UH satelite hosp.) for them if they can't be done at Cooper Cancer Ctr. (Akron City Hosp). We are hoping they can be done close to home, as my truck can't take much more.
We are keeping close to home as Dave is having some difficulites with his breathing due to the fluid that is around his right lung. He may also have some bronchitis which our family doc. is treating with a strong antibiotic. Dr. Crawford also did a chest x-ray to rule out any pneumonia. That was fine and did show the fluid as well.
Before he and I went to the family doc. this afternoon he looked at me and apologized for being a pain in the butt, I turned to him and said NO, CANCER IS A PAIN IN THE BUTT! He gave me a great big hug and away we went to the doctor.
So as you can see, we are playing the waiting game while the professionals decide what type of treatments Dave should have. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts, we love you and God Bless!
Now to his pet/ct scans that were done in early March, we also got the results of those on March 21. The results were not what we wanted to hear, there is still some residual in the upper thoracic area, and a new spot has showed up adjacent to the right side of his trachea, and some fluid buildup around his rt. lung. Dave says "it seems like I just can't catch a break" so he is going to fight, with me by his side cheering him on.
We also met with Dr. Rezaee on Tuesday from University Hosp. in Cleveland. That was the usual checkup visit and also to go over his treatments and scans. The doctors, meaning, Dr. Rezaee, Dr. Koenig and Dr. Savvides (UH Oncologist) are putting there heads together to see what kind of different treatments can be done. There checking to see if there are any Phase I trials out there, if so we may have to go to Cleveland or Canton (which is a UH satelite hosp.) for them if they can't be done at Cooper Cancer Ctr. (Akron City Hosp). We are hoping they can be done close to home, as my truck can't take much more.
We are keeping close to home as Dave is having some difficulites with his breathing due to the fluid that is around his right lung. He may also have some bronchitis which our family doc. is treating with a strong antibiotic. Dr. Crawford also did a chest x-ray to rule out any pneumonia. That was fine and did show the fluid as well.
Before he and I went to the family doc. this afternoon he looked at me and apologized for being a pain in the butt, I turned to him and said NO, CANCER IS A PAIN IN THE BUTT! He gave me a great big hug and away we went to the doctor.
So as you can see, we are playing the waiting game while the professionals decide what type of treatments Dave should have. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts, we love you and God Bless!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Start Of Round Two
Wow, I am really behind on updates here, for that I sincerely apologize. We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and our wish to you is to have a wonderful and blessed 2011.
I need to go back to Dave's pet/ct scans that were done in mid November, 2010. We received the results after Thanksgiving and we saw Dr. Koenig here in the Akron area, he then sent us to the oncologist in Cleveland at Univ. Hosp. There is still some cancer in his upper right chest area but nothing in the lungs that they could tell at that time. Dave had to have 3 more rounds of chemotherapy and has one treatment left. The same medications are being used, just like before. The chemotherapy is doing what it's supposed to be doing!
Now back to January 2011. Dave has been doing well considering all that he is going through. His hair was growing back (looks like a military cut) and even though he is back in treatment it has not fell out yet, but has thinned considerably. He had lost some weight during the first round, and had started gaining it back before round 2 started. He has only lost a couple of pounds of the weight he had gained and is actually maintaining a steady weight during this round.
Dave will be completing his last treatment on January 25, 2011 and we will then be waiting for the next set of pet/ct scans, hopefully to be done sometime in late March or early April, 2011.
The power of prayer is being proven in my husband, so let's keep on praying that this round of chemo does the job it is designed to do. We love you and God Bless.
I need to go back to Dave's pet/ct scans that were done in mid November, 2010. We received the results after Thanksgiving and we saw Dr. Koenig here in the Akron area, he then sent us to the oncologist in Cleveland at Univ. Hosp. There is still some cancer in his upper right chest area but nothing in the lungs that they could tell at that time. Dave had to have 3 more rounds of chemotherapy and has one treatment left. The same medications are being used, just like before. The chemotherapy is doing what it's supposed to be doing!
Now back to January 2011. Dave has been doing well considering all that he is going through. His hair was growing back (looks like a military cut) and even though he is back in treatment it has not fell out yet, but has thinned considerably. He had lost some weight during the first round, and had started gaining it back before round 2 started. He has only lost a couple of pounds of the weight he had gained and is actually maintaining a steady weight during this round.
Dave will be completing his last treatment on January 25, 2011 and we will then be waiting for the next set of pet/ct scans, hopefully to be done sometime in late March or early April, 2011.
The power of prayer is being proven in my husband, so let's keep on praying that this round of chemo does the job it is designed to do. We love you and God Bless.
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