Mid Week Report!

Not much to report yet. Robert's surgery for the medi-port is scheduled Friday. He will have his PET/CT scan Monday and then if all goes well with the scan he will start Chemo Tuesday. He has been staying busy this week with getting his truck cleaned out. I have a list of chores to keep him busy. My dad is coming Friday and should be here by the time we get home. We are anxious for him to get here. Maybe him and Robert can work on my list together. We'll see... Hope everyone has a good week.

Dr. Nadlers Treatment Plan!

August 19th - Thursday - Robert's oral surgeon was able to grind down the exposed jaw bone after 9 numbing shots and 10 stitches. His mouth is doing much better.

August 20th - Friday - We met with Dr. Nadler for the results of the CT scan. The scan showed that the cancer is in the large bronchial stem in the Left lung same as the lung scope showed and also has affected Lymph Nodes in the center of the chest. Therefore surgery is not an option for Robert. We will go back to Baylor next week and Robert will have a medi-port put in his chest for easy access for blood work and Chemo. Dr. Nadler is also scheduling a PET scan next week, if the scan shows that the cancer has spread to any other areas, then Robert's cancer will incurable, if it is just in the areas the CT scan showed, then Dr. Nadler is going to treat it aggressively with high doses of Chemo. The Chemo drugs will be: Taxotere, Cistplatin, and 5-FU. Robert has already had these chemo drugs, but in lower doses to enhance radiation. Chemo will start August 31st there at Baylor and he will have 6 weekly treatments and then he will have another scan to see if the cancer is responding to the Chemo. It if is, then they will continue with 6 more weekly Chemo treatments and then follow up with 7 weeks of daily radiation treatments. Dr. Nadler feels this is the best approach to this. The pathology report showed this is indeed the same type cancer that initially started at the base of Robert's tongue. Dr. Nadler is not completely convinced. He has never seen nor heard of this happening in a non smoker. He said this would be the first case that he knows of. Robert said he feels special.

We are glad to be home today and will try and gather ourselves. We are so blessed to have such an awesome support team of family, friends and doctors. Our specific prayers this coming week will be that there will be no change in Robert's cancer and he is allowed a fighting chance.

Love,
Robert and Judy

Dr. Nadler and Dr. Burch

We met Dr. Nadler, an Oncologist who specializes in Head, Neck and Lung cancer, Dr. Burch, who has completed medical school, and 4 years of residency and (before you can be an Oncologist you have to shadow with a Dr. for 4 years, which is what his is doing with Dr. Nadler) and Dietitian Andria and the office staff today at Baylor. We feel blessed to be in their care right now.

Dr. Nadler pulled strings and got Robert in for a CT scan yesterday at 5, after his office staff was told NO twice, and a personal call from him. He was quite proud of himself.

Their main concern of course right now is Robert coughing up blood and to figure out if this is the same type cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) as Robert had before or is this a new cancer. Dr. Nadler said that because of the location of the tumor it made it very rare and if it is Squamous Cell it will be the first case he has seen where it has spread into the bronchial something something stem.. If this is the same type cancer Robert will probably have surgery Monday or Tuesday to scrape the tumor to help him breath better and try to control the bleeding. If it is a new type cancer, he said we will take a step back and go from there.

We will be going to Texarkana today to see Robert's Oral Surgeon, his jaw bone is splintering from all the radiation he had back in '07 and pushing through his gum and therefor has caused a sore on his tongue. This is the only thing Robert cares about right now, he is in so much pain from this that he really can not do anything. If it wasn't for Robert seeing Dr. Duke today, Dr. Nadler wanted to admit Robert to the hospital yesterday. We are hoping Dr. Duke can remedy this problem today so we can shift focus on lung issues.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouraging words. Will keep you posted!

Love,
Robert and Judy

No news WAS good news!

Well we are blogging again, which means we have bad news to report. Robert for the last couple of months has been feeling lousy. In April he had to do 20 Hyperbaric treatments to promote good blood flow for when he had 2 back teeth pulled. Treatments did what they were suppose to, when they pulled the teeth he had good blow flow and the Doctor says it is healing as best as it can. Due to all the radiation to Robert's face and neck his jaw bone has been deteriorating, so the roots of his back teeth did not have anything to hold on to. He has had to see his Oral surgeon a few times after surgery for more procedures due to the jaw bone still splintering.

Now to present day, as I said he has been feeling pretty lousy the last couple of months. The weather has gotten to him so he decided to take a vacation this week. We met with his ENT last Friday for a check up and we informed him of some of the symptoms Robert was experiencing. He has been coughing up blood, weight loss and wheezing. He told Robert everything looked good down his throat, prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler and told us to follow up with his primary doctor. So we set up an apt.

Robert went to Canton Monday to visit Coley and his brothers. When Robert was in Tyler yesterday morning meeting Coley, he began to cough up alot of blood, so he went to the ER at ETMC and they said the blood was coming from the lungs and they needed to scope him. The scope showed a tumor on his left lung, they did a biopsy, but from the looks of it they say it is most probably cancer. The doctor advised Robert to get in to his Oncologist as soon as possible, which is what we are gonna do. We have an appointment at Baylor today for our first opinion of treatment and then will follow up with Robert's oncologist in Paris. The only thing Robert says he needs right now is prayers! Will update again after our visit today.

On a good note, since we have not blogged in a while, just wanted to let everyone know Cassie has opened up her own office and working on her PHD. We are so proud of her and and you can check out her website: http://www.sperocs.com/index.html

Headed Back to Work!! Yeah thats right!!

Well can you believe it? I can not.. Robert will be returning to work October 27th!! I think he picked that date so he could get out of getting me a huge birthday present.. Ha Ha.. Actually it will be a huge present for me to see him drive off again doing something he really enjoys. The doctors want him to wait a little bit longer, but due to insurance issues Robert is not going to wait. He says he is ready, I agree with the doctors, but it is his decision and I admire him so much for his strength and yeah o'k I will say it, his stubborness!!

We got Robert's results back from his latest PET scan and everything was clear. We can not tell you how good it was to hear and to tell you the truth we were both a little surprised., due to the size and the speed of growth of the latest knot in his chest.

We are truly blessed and know that without all your prayers and support and of course the hand our Lord and Savior had in this, the outcome might have been different. Robert is having surgery Monday to have the mediport removed and he should heal pretty quick from that. Robert will have a PET scan in December and the doctors will keep a pretty close eye on him, but hopefully we are on the way to putting this chapter in our lives behind us. Thanks again for all your special thoughts and prayers and God Bless each and everyone of you!! We will keep the blog updated, so please check back from time to time and please let us hear from you!

Elated!!

We are elated!! Robert's CT scan was clear. The doctor had to say clear a couple of time before it sank in. We along with the Chemo doctor, well me along with the chemo Dr. were surprised. Robert said all along he knew the treatments were working and the tumors were gone. I should have faith like him. CLEAR that is our new word. Robert and I walk around just saying clear, clear. We are so thankful and relieved. Robert has one more hurdle. He will have a PET scan September the 5th. That is a more precise scan and will pick up even the smallest spot.

Robert asked the doc if he could go back to work and he said no way. He would re-evaluate him in a couple of months and go from there. That is not what he wanted to hear, he is ready to go back now. I will have my work cut out for me trying to keep him busy the next couple of months. So if anyone wants to come visit you are more than welcome.

One of his doctors is getting him set up for physical therapy on his neck. I really hope it works his skin is so tight and there is the chance that after all the surgeries and radiation that the scar tissue will set up and will limit his movement even more. Also, Robert is having really bad headaches, he is taking his pain med. with out me even nagging him. So they must be bad. The doctor said for him to slow down on his neck exercises for a bit and see if it helps.

Well we just wanted to share the good news with you. Hope all is well and God Bless!

Getting ready for CT Scan

Hope this finds everyone well. Robert is getting ready for his CT scan. The scan is this Thursday and he will also meet with his radiation doctors assistant to check on his progress. We will find out Monday if the treatments worked and removed the tumors and then Robert will see his ENT on Tuesday. We are so ready for Monday.

We also wanted to tell everyone thank you so much for your donations in the raffle and thanks so much for those who bought tickets. It went really well, the drawing was July 12th and there were quite a few from Canton that won prizes. The raffle raised about $4,400.0, we were so excited. Special thanks to Michael, Sandi, Morgan who was recovering from having her wisdom teeth out, William and Lisa Garvin and Cassie and Chris for coming up and helping with everything. Sunday after the raffle we went kayaking with William and Lisa and we had a blast the weather was perfect and the water was flowing just enough where we did not have to paddle much. It was wonderful, we saw a deer and her fawn, turtles and some really big Gar. No snakes though, darn it.

Tuesday Robert and I headed to my dad's. We enjoyed that, got to do some chores for him, Robert helped him mow his pasture and really enjoyed getting on that tractor. Also, Robert got some rocks from on old chimney on my dads property that belonged to his Uncle. The chimney has been there since the early 1900's and the stone is still in really good shape. When we got home he said we needed to go back and get more. Robert loves his rocks.

Robert's daughter Cassie is graduating from University of North Dakota with a degree in Forensic Psychology next weekend. He really wishes he could be there to see her walk across the stage, she and only 3 others will be graduating in her field. She will be in our thoughts and we are so proud of her.

We will keep everyone posted on the results from CT scan and also the Dr. apts. Thanks so much for all your continued thoughts and prayers.