What's Been Happening...

Sunday, October 12, 2008

To our friends, family and visitors to the blog.

First, I want to apologize for going two months without updating. I don’t have a good excuse so I won’t make one, I will make every effort to do better in the future and try to recap the last two months without getting too windy.

We left the clinic last week of July and the plan was to take eight weeks off and take a ct scan at the end of that period. We would then return to the clinic with that info and attack the cancer with the new info. Our last two weeks were really a joy there because Jackson and Trevor flew out to be with us. What a joy they are. In the afternoon after the clinic we would go, some days, to a local spring, swim in the pool at the apartments, go to the movies, or play cards. They are so sweet and so easy to be with, Pam and I know how blessed we are to have them in our lives; Heather and Ryan are doing such a fine job raising them. It worked out great that the same time they needed to get back to get ready for school was when we were going home. We stopped in Houston stayed the night and went to the Johnson space center. Really neat, even though I’ve been on this earth during all the events presented there I admit my attention was obviously elsewhere because I learned so much I did not know about the program and events that took place. I know Pam and the boys enjoyed it too.

Once returning home it was a great reunion with our family, friends and church. There is no place like home. Admittedly once home the prospect of going back in eight weeks was not appealing to me, I was thinking about how great fall is, the weather the colors, the food and the family and friends, I was hoping when we took the ct scan we would see such improvement it would not be necessary.

A couple of weeks after being home I was experiencing some discomfort around my liver area, last time I felt that was in January and a ct scan showed slight bleeding from my liver was causing it. So we took a ct scan 6 weeks earlier than planed. It showed no bleeding but that some lesions on my liver had grown. My oncologist recommended a chemo regimen he felt could help slow it down or reverse it. We notified Dr. Reyes at the clinic by email, and faxed ct scan, of the situation They wanted us to come back then and begin treatment. We prayed, we talked and we didn’t feel led either way. Part of me was considering option three, don’t do either stay home and enjoy the days I have without the potential side effects of chemo. I went about four weeks considering those options, and not really feeling burdened by it, but I know it was hard on Pam. She loves me so much and needed to know our direction, despite those feelings she gave me room and total support while I procrastinated. As I went about enjoying family and life a couple of things started to develop, blood tests were showing my liver function declining and I started gaining back the weight Pam and Heather were so concerned I get back. Unfortunately it was fluids that my liver wasn’t processing. They call it edema, I believe. With these visual signs and feeling as before, that I’m not ready to go quietly, I decided to go with the chemo here. That way if we need to medically treat edema we would be here to do it. Also because the clinic treatments had built up my immune system I was in better shape to do it and we are here for fall, family and friends. I trust my oncologist, even though I may not always go with his plan, but I believe he offers me his best with my well being at heart.

Monday, a week ago, we had our 1st treatment, 5-hour IV drip then I wear a pump for the next 46 hours that pumps a continual flow of another chemo. Return on Wednesday and they remove pump. We will do this every other week for four times, 8weeks, and then take a ct scan. Tomorrow I go for my second round. Of the potential harsh side effects you could get I did not get from the 1st treatment, answered prayer. We are optimistic this is going to reverse this trend in my liver and look forward to me being skinny again. In the meantime we are having so a great time. Kathy and Tom have been up twice cutting down dead trees, clearing out underbrush, what worker bees. It has been so great visiting with them, our good friend from south Florida, Tammy Sickle has moved to Greenville, and has been over to visit twice, her and Pam really enjoy that, me too. Pam’s sister Treci is here right now, it is so great having her here.

If I was to live to 100 and had not had this experience of this last year I would never have known what love there is for us in our friends and family. It is not there because I have cancer, it has always been there, and because of the cancer I have heightened sense of awareness of it.

A few family updates since we have been home, Tish and Mike moved into their new home, very nice, Scott moved into his new town house, very nice, and I am impressed with Scott picking out all his colors, he did good. Ryan is coaching Trevor and Jackson’s football team; it is so much fun watching them play. As Michael Combs sings “I’m drinking from my saucer because my cup has overflowed”.

Thank you for your prayers. They are being answered everyday. Please pray for the patients healing at the clinic and blessings for the staff.

I will do better at keeping this updated!

Love, Virgil and Pam