Preparing for radiation and chemo again.

Well Robert has been preparing for radiation and chemo again. Robert is recovering really well from his right side neck dissection; you can barely see a scar. We met with Roberts’s chemo dr. this past Monday and he said Robert needs to have chemo again. This time instead of the drugs Taxotere and Paraplatin he is going to give him 5 FU and Cisplapin. Robert will have a pump that will distribute the chemo over 5 days and they will wait a month and do the same again. Robert had to have a mediport put in since he will be coming home with the drugs. We met with the surgeon on Tuesday, and Wednesday we had to go to the hospital for the pre-op. And then back to Paris again today for the surgery. The surgery went really well. When the dr. was telling us about the 1% chance of complications, I just about lost it that is another story, will come to that in a minute. Anyway, everything went well. He now has the port in his chest and they can use that for chemo, drawing blood, hydrating if he needs it, instead of having an IV started every time. We go back to Paris tomorrow (Friday, Robert’s birthday) for the PET scan. Dr. Kerley wants results from the scan before radiation is started on Wednesday and the chemo will start next Thursday. Robert has had 3 surgeries in the last month I think he has had his share and then some. He is ready to get the treatments started. The dr. said he will not feel any side effects for a couple of weeks from the radiation and the side effects from chemo will be pretty much like last year. We will keep the blog updated and let everyone know the results from the pet scan.

O’k now the story about the 1%. As some of you know my mother had an angioplasty last week. What was supposed to be a routine surgery with only a 1% or less chance of complications. Well my mother is now a not so proud member of the 1% club. Not really sure what happened, Sandi who mother told everyone in the hospital she was a RN could answer that. What I understand is that either during the operation an artery as accidentally cut or the splint that was put in did not seal like it should and caused her major problems. What turned out to be a day surgery turned in to 3 nights in ICU and another emergency surgery and 7 pints of blood later she was finally out of the woods. It was a really scary time and I am so thankful she had Benny and Sandi there with her during that scary time. The staff at Baylor was absolutely wonderful. Mother’s surgeons and all the nurses she had were so great to her. She not only scared her family, but she had quite a few staff members worried. One nurse that was with Mother during her scary ordeal came to visit her when she finally got in a private room and told her, that has happened twice there, the first man died and the second was Mother. Mother is home recovering, she is doing good, still really weak but getting stronger everyday. The lesson we need to learn from this is do not take for granted the routine things and do not pass up a chance to tell your loved ones how you feel. So Benny, thank you so much for your love and care you give my Mother.

Love and prayers,
Judy