January 9th, 2011

I just wanted to post a quick update on Dad. Dad was not able to get his port-a-cath last Wednesday. Instead, they will place the port-a-cath next Tuesday. My Dad takes a low dose asprin daily, and the doctor wanted him to be off the aspirin at least a week before placing the port-a-cath. This didn't prevent the first round of Chemo from taking place. The Chemo took place as scheduled last Wednesday, and Dad drove home from the appt. Yes, he drove home from the appt. Now, I specifically asked the doctor if Dad should be driving after Chemo and I very clearly remember the doctor saying that Dad shouldn't drive himself home after his Chemo treatments. Did I not say that he was a strong man?

The Chemo treatment took about 4 hours. Dad was given medicine to help with any nausea or vomiting. Dad appeared to be feeling pretty good until later that evening. Then, extreme fatigue set in. The next day, he had to get the first of a week long series of shots to boost his white blood cell count. The shots work by stimulating the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. Unfortunately, the nasty side effect of this shot is bone pain. However, the shots are very necessary. Having a low white blood cell count puts Dad at an increased risk for infection, and could delay his next round of Chemo. In addition to the extreme fatigue and severe bone pain, Dad has a terrible taste in his mouth and has developed a very sore throat. Mom picked up some drugs to help with the sore throat, and Dad is still making it a priority to eat.

These treatments are very strong. Dad says that if you want to see him with hair, you better hurry. His hair is expected to fall out within 3 weeks. I told him that wasn't a big feat - he hardly has any hair left, anyway. In any event, I have ordered him a buff to keep his head warm. I hope you enjoy your new Buff, Dad. You should recieve it in a few days.

Keep the prayers coming. We're just in round one and the fight must go on!

Much Love,

Shanon