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
Monday, February 21, 2011
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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