Gary had a catheter put into his stomach on Friday, June 3rd, so that we can drain his stomach here at home when needed. We had to take him to the emergency room last Sunday to have fluid removed for the third time, so Dr Leo decided to have the catheter installed to make it easier on Gary to remove the fluids. This is just a temporary situation for now until we go to St Louis for testing. He has one more chemo treatment on June 8th, then all his treatments will be over for now. He should start feeling better the end of next week after recovering from the last chemo treatment.
His weight is holding at 160 lbs and has been there for the last couple of months or more. He no longer has to take insulin or potassium. His tumor marker is down to 47 which is close to normal. There is no cancer in the fluid in his stomach. His other organs are all showing good responses. He has a good appetite, but his taste is still off and will be until after chemo is over. To show how optimistic he is, he renewed his driver's license for 6 years!!!
He will definitely have to have an operation to fix the blockage in his stomach, but until they know if the tumor is pulling away from the artery, we will not know what his options are.
Will post again after June 23rd when we find out the results of his CT scan in St Louis.
Jannis
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Update May 22nd
OK.... I know I should be posting more often, but I have been extra busy with work outside. Will try to post more often now.
We did not go to St Louis the 18th as I said in my last posting. The reason is that Dr Leo wanted to give Gary another round of chemo. He said Gary is responding so well to the treatments that he wanted to get another round in before we do another CT Scan. Gary's tumor marker (that marks cancer activity) has now dropped to 47 (down from 693). Normal is 40 or below. Yeah!!!!
However, there is now another problem he is dealing with. Last Tuesday, May 17th, Gary had to have a procedure done to remove fluid that was building up in his stomach. They removed 5 litres that weighed 15 pounds. He felt better immediately and in the afternoon spent 1 1/2 hours helping to plant his garden. He felt good on Wednesday morning but had his chemo treatment Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday, he was utterly exhausted from the chemo treatment. He has not felt good since last Wednesday morning. The fluid is building up in his stomach again, so when the chemo is not getting him down, the fluid is.
They are running tests on the fluid they removed. As soon as we hear the results of the tests, we will be calling Dr Anderson in St Louis and get his opinion on what to do next. Will let you know as soon as we know.
Until then.....Jannis
We did not go to St Louis the 18th as I said in my last posting. The reason is that Dr Leo wanted to give Gary another round of chemo. He said Gary is responding so well to the treatments that he wanted to get another round in before we do another CT Scan. Gary's tumor marker (that marks cancer activity) has now dropped to 47 (down from 693). Normal is 40 or below. Yeah!!!!
However, there is now another problem he is dealing with. Last Tuesday, May 17th, Gary had to have a procedure done to remove fluid that was building up in his stomach. They removed 5 litres that weighed 15 pounds. He felt better immediately and in the afternoon spent 1 1/2 hours helping to plant his garden. He felt good on Wednesday morning but had his chemo treatment Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday, he was utterly exhausted from the chemo treatment. He has not felt good since last Wednesday morning. The fluid is building up in his stomach again, so when the chemo is not getting him down, the fluid is.
They are running tests on the fluid they removed. As soon as we hear the results of the tests, we will be calling Dr Anderson in St Louis and get his opinion on what to do next. Will let you know as soon as we know.
Until then.....Jannis
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Update April 26th
More good news than bad this time:
Gary's tumor count (tracks the cancer activity) is now down to 57!!! It started out at 693 on Dec.21st!!!
The target number is 40, so he is getting very close. This shows very positively that the cancer is not spreading. What we still do not know is if the tumor is pulling away from the artery, and we will not know that until we go to St Louis May 18th.
Gary has had several good days since last Friday (April 22nd). His pain has subsided enough that he has reduced the pain meds he is taking. He did not sleep quite as much and started to get a little sassy (this is good!!). Unfortunately, he had a chemo treatment this morning, so he will be set back for a few days.
For the best news: Gary's birthday was yesterday...68 years young!!! Next one he will celebrate will the 69!!!
Last Sunday, April 17th, Bolivar High School sponsored an alumni game for Relay for Life, in honor of Gary. About 30 girls came to play, & several of his former players (boy's teams) from Pleasant Hope, Jasper and Gravette, AR came to just be there. Several members of his family were there also.
Gary was very surprised and elated to see everybody. After the game was over (which included our daughters Dawn and Brandi, and daughter-in-law Lea Ann) they all got in the middle of the floor in a circle and had Gary get out there with them. They circled their arms and said a prayer. What a moment!!! The whole afternoon was very fun and emotional.
Again, thank you for your prayers, phone calls, visits, cards, etc.......
Until next time...... Jannis
Gary's tumor count (tracks the cancer activity) is now down to 57!!! It started out at 693 on Dec.21st!!!
The target number is 40, so he is getting very close. This shows very positively that the cancer is not spreading. What we still do not know is if the tumor is pulling away from the artery, and we will not know that until we go to St Louis May 18th.
Gary has had several good days since last Friday (April 22nd). His pain has subsided enough that he has reduced the pain meds he is taking. He did not sleep quite as much and started to get a little sassy (this is good!!). Unfortunately, he had a chemo treatment this morning, so he will be set back for a few days.
For the best news: Gary's birthday was yesterday...68 years young!!! Next one he will celebrate will the 69!!!
Last Sunday, April 17th, Bolivar High School sponsored an alumni game for Relay for Life, in honor of Gary. About 30 girls came to play, & several of his former players (boy's teams) from Pleasant Hope, Jasper and Gravette, AR came to just be there. Several members of his family were there also.
Gary was very surprised and elated to see everybody. After the game was over (which included our daughters Dawn and Brandi, and daughter-in-law Lea Ann) they all got in the middle of the floor in a circle and had Gary get out there with them. They circled their arms and said a prayer. What a moment!!! The whole afternoon was very fun and emotional.
Again, thank you for your prayers, phone calls, visits, cards, etc.......
Until next time...... Jannis
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Update April 12, 2011
Since the last blog, this has been Gary's situation:
First the good things:
All we can do now is keep following the doctors orders and hope for good news in May from the doctor in St Louis. We will whip the cancer first then the leaking heart valve.
Thank you for your continued prayers. Also, we have seen such amazing support from family and friends. They have brought us meals, shopped for groceries for me, cleaned up our yard, built the frame of a barn, spent many hours visiting with Gary in peson and on the phone, sent numberous cards. Tax season will be over next week, so I will be able to take over the grocery shopping and preparing meals.
Till later...... Jannis
First the good things:
- He has gained four pounds....2 lbs in each of the last two weeks!!!
- He has been to his shop for about 30 minutes at a time for several days!!!
- He spent all day this past Saturday lying in a lounge chair watching friends help build the frame for a storage barn that he had started last fall!!!
- He still has stomach pains and had to add Tylenol to his current medication (the Fentanyl patch 100 mg and Oxycod 5 mg)
- He still sleeps a lot
- He still has trouble with the taste of some of his favorite foods
All we can do now is keep following the doctors orders and hope for good news in May from the doctor in St Louis. We will whip the cancer first then the leaking heart valve.
Thank you for your continued prayers. Also, we have seen such amazing support from family and friends. They have brought us meals, shopped for groceries for me, cleaned up our yard, built the frame of a barn, spent many hours visiting with Gary in peson and on the phone, sent numberous cards. Tax season will be over next week, so I will be able to take over the grocery shopping and preparing meals.
Till later...... Jannis
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Update March 29th
Gary is showing signs of improvement, at least in his energy level. He is eating good and getting a little more energy every day. He is in his second round of chemo treatments on Mondays only. One more week then he will be off a week.
Dr Anderson from Barnes in St Louis called us last Wednesday, March 23rd, and said he wanted Gary to come up for another CT Scan in 2 months. He had talked with Dr Leo in Bolivar and was happy with the treatments Dr Leo has planned for Gary. Dr Anderson is going to consult with other oncologists who are in charge of clinical trials to see if Gary would qualify for one. If so, we should hear from the oncologists. For now, we have not heard anything from them.
We continue to take one day at a time. We are thankful for at least one full week of normalcy (?) without any sudden pain attacks, nausea, etc. We are so thankful for the prayers. The doctors need all the help they can get.
Jannis
Dr Anderson from Barnes in St Louis called us last Wednesday, March 23rd, and said he wanted Gary to come up for another CT Scan in 2 months. He had talked with Dr Leo in Bolivar and was happy with the treatments Dr Leo has planned for Gary. Dr Anderson is going to consult with other oncologists who are in charge of clinical trials to see if Gary would qualify for one. If so, we should hear from the oncologists. For now, we have not heard anything from them.
We continue to take one day at a time. We are thankful for at least one full week of normalcy (?) without any sudden pain attacks, nausea, etc. We are so thankful for the prayers. The doctors need all the help they can get.
Jannis
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Update March 15th
There have been some changes since the last update. We thought we were going to St Louis tomorrow for a CT Scan on Thursday; however, we ended up going to St Louis last week on Thursday and had the CT Scan on Friday. Dr Anderson at Barnes was concerned about Gary's sudden pain and problems with the stint, so he didn't want to wait another week.
The news was not what we wanted to hear. The tumor has not pulled away from the artery and is possibly a little larger around it which means that the treatments have not worked like they needed to so far. Dr Anderson said that radiation continues to work for 7-8 weeks after the treatment stops and it has only been 3 weeks since the radiation treaments ended. Needless to say, we were very disappointed and somewhat depressed, but after a couple of days, we are back in the saddle and thinking positive. The positive results are that the cancer still has not spread to other organs.
Dr Anderson is now in the planning stage of consulting with other doctors (who are in charge of clinical trials) and Dr Leo (our oncologist here in Bolivar) to see what the next stage of treatments will be. We have not heard from him yet and it may be next week before we hear from him. As for now, Dr Leo is going to start chemo treatments again next week on Mondays for 3 weeks then off one week. These treatments should be much easier for Gary to handle because they will just be one treatment a week. That all may change after we hear from Dr Anderson.
Gary is feeling better, eating better, getting some energy back and gained 2 pounds this past week!! We try to stay as positive as possible, but sometimes that is hard to do because of all the negative issues about pancreatic cancer. We ask for your continued prayers and support. It means a great deal to both of us and to our children. I will post again after we know something for sure about what will be next for us.
Jannis
The news was not what we wanted to hear. The tumor has not pulled away from the artery and is possibly a little larger around it which means that the treatments have not worked like they needed to so far. Dr Anderson said that radiation continues to work for 7-8 weeks after the treatment stops and it has only been 3 weeks since the radiation treaments ended. Needless to say, we were very disappointed and somewhat depressed, but after a couple of days, we are back in the saddle and thinking positive. The positive results are that the cancer still has not spread to other organs.
Dr Anderson is now in the planning stage of consulting with other doctors (who are in charge of clinical trials) and Dr Leo (our oncologist here in Bolivar) to see what the next stage of treatments will be. We have not heard from him yet and it may be next week before we hear from him. As for now, Dr Leo is going to start chemo treatments again next week on Mondays for 3 weeks then off one week. These treatments should be much easier for Gary to handle because they will just be one treatment a week. That all may change after we hear from Dr Anderson.
Gary is feeling better, eating better, getting some energy back and gained 2 pounds this past week!! We try to stay as positive as possible, but sometimes that is hard to do because of all the negative issues about pancreatic cancer. We ask for your continued prayers and support. It means a great deal to both of us and to our children. I will post again after we know something for sure about what will be next for us.
Jannis
Monday, March 7, 2011
Update March 7th
The tumor count is continuing to go down!! It is now 134 and started at 693 in December. 40 is the magic number, but I can't tell you why or what it means. They took blood tests today, but we will not know the results of the tumor count until next week. The other tests all came back looking good. Also, next Thursday, March 17th, is when Gary has another CT Scan and meets with Dr Anderson. We will go up to St Louis on Wednesday because the CT Scan is at 8:00 am Thursday. I will probably not post another update until after we go to St Louis on the 17th.
Jannis
Jannis
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Update March 5th
I was going to wait until Monday, March 7th, to post another update because that is when they test for his tumor count again; however, this past week was not so good so I decided to post today.
Sunday night, after the tornado winds came through, Gary started having severe stomach pains about midnight. At 5:00 am Monday, he woke me up and said he was going to the emergency room because he couldn't stand the pain anymore ( I had no idea he was in pain until he woke me up). He would not wait on me to get ready. When I got there he had already been given some pain medication and was feeling better. After a couple of hours, we brought him home and I went back to work. At noon, he called me and said the pain was coming back, so I went and picked him up and took him to Dr Leo, his cancer doctor in Bolivar. They gave him some treatments (I don't remember what they gave him) and after a few hours he was feeling better and I took him home. He felt better Tuesday and even went to our granddaughter's ballgame, visited with several friends and joked all evening with them.
Wednesday evening he started feeling the pain again, so back to the emergency room we went. He looked jaundice. The tests they ran showed his bile not getting where it was supposed to, so in a consultation with Dr Leo, the decision was made to go back to Cox South in Springfield and have his stint in his bile duct replaced. They kept him at CMH until a room could be opened up at Cox. Thursday afternoon, they transported him to Cox. Friday morning, Dr Ramsey replaced the plastic stint with a permanent stint. Gary was released about 6:00 Friday evening and back home.
Dr Ramsey said that this is fairly common and that it was not anything that Gary did or ate to cause the stint to become blocked. The permanent stint could possibly become clogged also, but it shouldn't happen sooner than a year or so. Gary has to follow a low fat and low cholesterol diet for now.
This morning, Saturday, Gary is tired and in a little pain, but it is tolerable.
I will post another update Monday after we get his tumor count.
Jannis
Sunday night, after the tornado winds came through, Gary started having severe stomach pains about midnight. At 5:00 am Monday, he woke me up and said he was going to the emergency room because he couldn't stand the pain anymore ( I had no idea he was in pain until he woke me up). He would not wait on me to get ready. When I got there he had already been given some pain medication and was feeling better. After a couple of hours, we brought him home and I went back to work. At noon, he called me and said the pain was coming back, so I went and picked him up and took him to Dr Leo, his cancer doctor in Bolivar. They gave him some treatments (I don't remember what they gave him) and after a few hours he was feeling better and I took him home. He felt better Tuesday and even went to our granddaughter's ballgame, visited with several friends and joked all evening with them.
Wednesday evening he started feeling the pain again, so back to the emergency room we went. He looked jaundice. The tests they ran showed his bile not getting where it was supposed to, so in a consultation with Dr Leo, the decision was made to go back to Cox South in Springfield and have his stint in his bile duct replaced. They kept him at CMH until a room could be opened up at Cox. Thursday afternoon, they transported him to Cox. Friday morning, Dr Ramsey replaced the plastic stint with a permanent stint. Gary was released about 6:00 Friday evening and back home.
Dr Ramsey said that this is fairly common and that it was not anything that Gary did or ate to cause the stint to become blocked. The permanent stint could possibly become clogged also, but it shouldn't happen sooner than a year or so. Gary has to follow a low fat and low cholesterol diet for now.
This morning, Saturday, Gary is tired and in a little pain, but it is tolerable.
I will post another update Monday after we get his tumor count.
Jannis
Monday, February 21, 2011
Update February 21st
Just a quick update. Gary had a follow-up visit with Dr Leo today and lost another pound, but he was not too concerned. He said that all of Gary's treatments have been targeting his stomach area, and the small intestine is right in the middle of it, so it has been hit hard. The small intestine is what absorbs the nutrients so it hasn't been able to do its job too well. Dr Leo really thinks that things are ready to turn around as far as weight gain goes.
Gary's nausea is gone... he is eating better.... food tastes better...he is more alert....he doesn't lie in bed all day.... Life is getting better. He even walked around an island in our kitchen and up and down the stairs 5 times today. What a triumph!!!!
He doesn't go back to Dr Leo for two more weeks at which time his tumor count will be rechecked. We are anxious for that day. Then to St Louis for the big test on March 17th!!!.
Jannis
Gary's nausea is gone... he is eating better.... food tastes better...he is more alert....he doesn't lie in bed all day.... Life is getting better. He even walked around an island in our kitchen and up and down the stairs 5 times today. What a triumph!!!!
He doesn't go back to Dr Leo for two more weeks at which time his tumor count will be rechecked. We are anxious for that day. Then to St Louis for the big test on March 17th!!!.
Jannis
Monday, February 14, 2011
Update on February 14th (Valentine's Day!!)
Gary is finally through with his treatments for several weeks. We had thought he would be having a chemo treatment once a week for three weeks, then off one week; however, Dr Leo told us last Monday that he was going to stop the chemo for now and just keep the radiation going for one more week. So last week Gary just had radiation and no chemo. As a result, his nausea stopped last Wednesday and he hasn't had any since then.
Needless to say, we were anticipating a weight gain this week since he has been eating better and keeping it all down. Not so!! He lost 3 1/3 pounds this week and we don't know why. He also is starting to have anxiety attacks. So we had a long discussion with Dr Leo this morning and got some help in understanding what is going on.
This is what Dr Leo said: The treatments Gary has been getting have been some of the most aggressive they give due to it being Pancreatic Cancer. The combination of constant chemo and radiation is a hugh assault on the body in addition to the cancer itself. The reason they have to give him so much is that Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadly cancers and one of the hardest to treat. It is because it is lying in the middle of a lot of other organs and is so vital to the body functions. This assault on his body had taken its toll. Even though the treatments have stopped, the chemicals and radiation are still in his body and affecting how everything is working. This is why he is still losing weight, but that should stop in a couple of weeks.
The anxiety is coming from the chemical imbalance caused by the treatments. Gary said he feels like he is falling, or going over "thrill hill" in a fast car. He also sometimes forgets to breathe and that is making him panic a little. I noticed last Friday night that he kept going into the bedroom and lying down instead of staying in the living room like he had been. When I asked if he felt all right, he said "sort of'". He didn't know how to explain how he was feeling. Dr Leo explained that this is very normal and gave him a prescription to help alleviate the anxiety attacks. This situation should take care of itself as he gets stronger and not having so many treatments.
The week of March 14th, Gary is scheduled to go to Barnes in St Louis for another CT Scan and to Cox in Springfield to have the stint in his bile duct replaced.
Since we found out about Gary's Pancreatic Cancer, he has had many friends come to visit him while in the hospital at Cox and here at home. Each visit is treasured. It means a lot to him to know that people care. I also treasure the concerns that people give to me and the help with food and meals. Some very special people have been helping supply food to our home, which is such a help to me since I still have to go to work every day and sometimes don't get home until 7:00 or 8:00 at night. It took me awhile to accept help from people, but now I do it willingly and am ever so grateful. Thank you all very, very much!!!
Till later. Jannis
Needless to say, we were anticipating a weight gain this week since he has been eating better and keeping it all down. Not so!! He lost 3 1/3 pounds this week and we don't know why. He also is starting to have anxiety attacks. So we had a long discussion with Dr Leo this morning and got some help in understanding what is going on.
This is what Dr Leo said: The treatments Gary has been getting have been some of the most aggressive they give due to it being Pancreatic Cancer. The combination of constant chemo and radiation is a hugh assault on the body in addition to the cancer itself. The reason they have to give him so much is that Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadly cancers and one of the hardest to treat. It is because it is lying in the middle of a lot of other organs and is so vital to the body functions. This assault on his body had taken its toll. Even though the treatments have stopped, the chemicals and radiation are still in his body and affecting how everything is working. This is why he is still losing weight, but that should stop in a couple of weeks.
The anxiety is coming from the chemical imbalance caused by the treatments. Gary said he feels like he is falling, or going over "thrill hill" in a fast car. He also sometimes forgets to breathe and that is making him panic a little. I noticed last Friday night that he kept going into the bedroom and lying down instead of staying in the living room like he had been. When I asked if he felt all right, he said "sort of'". He didn't know how to explain how he was feeling. Dr Leo explained that this is very normal and gave him a prescription to help alleviate the anxiety attacks. This situation should take care of itself as he gets stronger and not having so many treatments.
The week of March 14th, Gary is scheduled to go to Barnes in St Louis for another CT Scan and to Cox in Springfield to have the stint in his bile duct replaced.
Since we found out about Gary's Pancreatic Cancer, he has had many friends come to visit him while in the hospital at Cox and here at home. Each visit is treasured. It means a lot to him to know that people care. I also treasure the concerns that people give to me and the help with food and meals. Some very special people have been helping supply food to our home, which is such a help to me since I still have to go to work every day and sometimes don't get home until 7:00 or 8:00 at night. It took me awhile to accept help from people, but now I do it willingly and am ever so grateful. Thank you all very, very much!!!
Till later. Jannis
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Update on February 6th
We had good news on Thursday, February 3rd. Gary's tumor marker has dropped from 693 to 351. We don't really know what that means but we will take it. He has also gained about 5 pounds. We don't understand that either because he still has a lot of nausea and has troubling eating very much. But any good news is good. Starting tomorrow, he will have a chemo treatment on Mondays for 3 weeks then off a week. About the middle of March, they will be taking another CT scan to actually see what the tumor is doing. Also on March 17th, he is scheduled to have the stint in his bile duct replaced by Dr Woodall in Springfield. The one he put in first was plastic and is only supposed to be left in for three months. They will probably later put in a permanent stint.
I thought I would tell you all the medications he is taking and what each one is for so you have an idea of what his daily routine is. Our kitchen counter where I usually prepare food for our meals is now a pharmacy counter. Medications all over the place. Here is Gary's daily routine (without the trips to the bathroom):
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Morning Only
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The pain medication above (Oxycodine) is in addition to a high dosage pain patch that he wears for 3 days before he changes it (Fentanyl). They started the potassium this last week because his potassium levels were so low. They gave him another dose of testosterone and will continue this once a week. They also have given him hydration treatments for the last two weeks because he was so dehydrated.
The prescription that he does not take is the one for depression. It was prescribed when he first started treatment but he has never taken it. I think that speaks loudly about his fighter spirit, his champion attitude, and his spiritual peace. Most people suffer depression when they deal with all the issues he is dealing with, but he keeps a stiff upper lip. He is fighting through this much better than I had expected.
It has amazed me how much a small tumor (and the necessary treatments) can wreck havoc on so much of a person's body. It is like a domino effect. When one organ can't do it's job, it affects another organ, then another, and so on.
Thank you to everyone for your continued expressions of concern and prayers. He reads every comment sent to him. Thank you very much!!!
Till later. Jannis
I thought I would tell you all the medications he is taking and what each one is for so you have an idea of what his daily routine is. Our kitchen counter where I usually prepare food for our meals is now a pharmacy counter. Medications all over the place. Here is Gary's daily routine (without the trips to the bathroom):
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Morning Only
- Test his blood sugar
- Give himself an insulin shot
- Take a dose of appetite stimulus (Megestrol Acetate).
- Take an anti-nausea tablet (Prochlorperazine)
- Take a pain pill (Oxycodine)
- Take an anti-acid stomach pill (Nexium)
- Take another pill that I can't remember what it is for (Famotidine)
- Take a pill to make the stomach digest his food ( Creon)
- Take a dose of potassium (Potassium Chloride) with a full glass of juice.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The pain medication above (Oxycodine) is in addition to a high dosage pain patch that he wears for 3 days before he changes it (Fentanyl). They started the potassium this last week because his potassium levels were so low. They gave him another dose of testosterone and will continue this once a week. They also have given him hydration treatments for the last two weeks because he was so dehydrated.
The prescription that he does not take is the one for depression. It was prescribed when he first started treatment but he has never taken it. I think that speaks loudly about his fighter spirit, his champion attitude, and his spiritual peace. Most people suffer depression when they deal with all the issues he is dealing with, but he keeps a stiff upper lip. He is fighting through this much better than I had expected.
It has amazed me how much a small tumor (and the necessary treatments) can wreck havoc on so much of a person's body. It is like a domino effect. When one organ can't do it's job, it affects another organ, then another, and so on.
Thank you to everyone for your continued expressions of concern and prayers. He reads every comment sent to him. Thank you very much!!!
Till later. Jannis
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Update on January 26th
Unfortunately Gary has lost a few more pounds since January 17th. The scales at the hospital showed a loss of six pounds, but we think a couple of pounds were due to his wearing lighter clothing this week. We were hoping to at least stabilize his weight, but couldn't make it happen.
He is showing more reactions to the chemo and radiation. He is still nauseous in spite of taking medication to help stop it, has constant diarrhea, has stomach pain quite frequently and always weak. According to Dr Leo, the cancer, chemo and radiation are all causing the weight loss. He is doing better at eating, but so much of the food tastes different than it did before his treatment, so sometimes it is hard for him to eat enough to gain weight. We will continue to try to get as much nourishment down him as we can.
His treatments will last the rest of this week and next week. After that they will wait several weeks before they do another CT Scan to see how the treatments are working. Dr Leo said he could give him testosterone which could help him gain weight. He also wants Gary to work with light weights to help build some muscle back.
Thank you everyone for your comments. He is reading them and feeling good that people care. Some of you he has not seen or talked to in years and it means a lot to hear from you. He really enjoys the cards, phone calls, personal visits, offers of help and food (although I think I appreciate the food more than he does). Thank you also for all your prayers.
Jannis
He is showing more reactions to the chemo and radiation. He is still nauseous in spite of taking medication to help stop it, has constant diarrhea, has stomach pain quite frequently and always weak. According to Dr Leo, the cancer, chemo and radiation are all causing the weight loss. He is doing better at eating, but so much of the food tastes different than it did before his treatment, so sometimes it is hard for him to eat enough to gain weight. We will continue to try to get as much nourishment down him as we can.
His treatments will last the rest of this week and next week. After that they will wait several weeks before they do another CT Scan to see how the treatments are working. Dr Leo said he could give him testosterone which could help him gain weight. He also wants Gary to work with light weights to help build some muscle back.
Thank you everyone for your comments. He is reading them and feeling good that people care. Some of you he has not seen or talked to in years and it means a lot to hear from you. He really enjoys the cards, phone calls, personal visits, offers of help and food (although I think I appreciate the food more than he does). Thank you also for all your prayers.
Jannis
Monday, January 17, 2011
Update for January 17
Before I give the updates to Gary's visit to the doctor this morning, I want to let everyone know that you can now post a comment without having to sign in. With some help from a friend, I learned how to open this blog site so anyone can post a comment and Gary will see it in this blog.
Now for the updates: Gary has lost another 7 lbs!!!. He has now lost a total of about 75-80 lbs. He weighs 165 lbs on the hospital scales which is down from his high of about 240-245 lbs. This is not good....so Dr Leo made some changes to his medicines and prescribed a medicine to give him an appetite. Dr Leo said that if he lost much more it would be dangerous.
In addition to taking the appetizer medicine, Gary has to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast (mixed with Almond milk, Soy milk, or Rice milk) after each meal and at bedtime. Dr Leo said he will soon be partially lactose intolerant, so he should not be drinking cow milk. I stopped by Wal-Mart tonight after work and bought him several boxes of Carnation Instant Breakfast and Almond milk. I am going to keep a log of everything he eats so I can keep on top of his food intake.
Gary did not have a good weekend. He got sick several times, had stomach pains again, was very tired and had trouble seeing clear to read the newspaper. I called Dr Nutt about his eyesight and he said Gary will have trouble seeing due to the double dose of chemo and radiation. He also said it should just be temporary, but will need his eyes checked after treatment is over to see if there are any permanent changes.
I will update again next week.
Jannis
Now for the updates: Gary has lost another 7 lbs!!!. He has now lost a total of about 75-80 lbs. He weighs 165 lbs on the hospital scales which is down from his high of about 240-245 lbs. This is not good....so Dr Leo made some changes to his medicines and prescribed a medicine to give him an appetite. Dr Leo said that if he lost much more it would be dangerous.
In addition to taking the appetizer medicine, Gary has to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast (mixed with Almond milk, Soy milk, or Rice milk) after each meal and at bedtime. Dr Leo said he will soon be partially lactose intolerant, so he should not be drinking cow milk. I stopped by Wal-Mart tonight after work and bought him several boxes of Carnation Instant Breakfast and Almond milk. I am going to keep a log of everything he eats so I can keep on top of his food intake.
Gary did not have a good weekend. He got sick several times, had stomach pains again, was very tired and had trouble seeing clear to read the newspaper. I called Dr Nutt about his eyesight and he said Gary will have trouble seeing due to the double dose of chemo and radiation. He also said it should just be temporary, but will need his eyes checked after treatment is over to see if there are any permanent changes.
I will update again next week.
Jannis
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Update on Treatment Jan 12, 2011
Gary seems to be reacting better to his treatments of chemo and radiation this week. He is not as nauseous and has a better appetite. It is a good thing, because he lost an additional 5 lbs last week.
On Monday this week after he got home from getting his chemo started again for another week, he received a call from the dietician at Barnes in St Louis really concerned about his additional weight loss (he has now lost approximately 70 lbs.) Apparently the information from Dr Leo in Bolivar is being sent to Dr. Anderson at Barnes. The dietician told him it was imperative that he get more nourishment and recommended mixing Ensure with ice cream. Our hardest task so far has been figuring out how to get nourisment (that he likes) in him without throwing it up. We also have to watch the sugar (due to his diabetes) and spicy food (due to the chemo that attacks the fast growing cells in the body which is in the mouth).
So far we have found that he likes (not a complete list):
Hopefully that won't change when he gets another CT Scan. Thank you again for all your cards, phone calls, offers of help, and prayers.
Jannis
On Monday this week after he got home from getting his chemo started again for another week, he received a call from the dietician at Barnes in St Louis really concerned about his additional weight loss (he has now lost approximately 70 lbs.) Apparently the information from Dr Leo in Bolivar is being sent to Dr. Anderson at Barnes. The dietician told him it was imperative that he get more nourishment and recommended mixing Ensure with ice cream. Our hardest task so far has been figuring out how to get nourisment (that he likes) in him without throwing it up. We also have to watch the sugar (due to his diabetes) and spicy food (due to the chemo that attacks the fast growing cells in the body which is in the mouth).
So far we have found that he likes (not a complete list):
- scrambled eggs with onions and green peppers, ham, and hash browns
- Carnation Instant Breakfast with banana and ice cream (blended)
- beef fajitas
- potato soup
- chili
- burritoes
- steak
- chicken noodle soup
Hopefully that won't change when he gets another CT Scan. Thank you again for all your cards, phone calls, offers of help, and prayers.
Jannis
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Treatment Started
On Monday, January 3rd, Gary started his chemo and radiation treatments. His chemo is a constant feed of chemo through a tube coming from a pouch that he carries with him constantly...24/7. The tube will be removed Friday afternoon. Next Monday it will be connected again for another week. His radiation treatments are fairly simple and quick.....15 minutes lying on a table. These will be every day. We think these treatments will last for several weeks before they take another CT Scan to see how the tumor is reacting to the treatments.
He is starting to feel some side effects, but not too bad. He needs to stay away from crowds due to the risk of getting sick. That means he will have to be resigned to watching ballgames from his recliner in the living room.
He continues to have a positive attitude which is a tremendous help to me and everyone else around him. We are taking one day at a time and looking forward to a positive CT Scan.
Jannis
He is starting to feel some side effects, but not too bad. He needs to stay away from crowds due to the risk of getting sick. That means he will have to be resigned to watching ballgames from his recliner in the living room.
He continues to have a positive attitude which is a tremendous help to me and everyone else around him. We are taking one day at a time and looking forward to a positive CT Scan.
Jannis
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