OK I'm a Procrastinator

Some people seem to think that if I haven't posted anything recently something must be wrong. I suppose that's logical but most of these people should know what a procrastinator I am. It takes about 7 blogless days before I start to get comments. If my mother was reading them it would be another story. I started the blog to keep friends and family informed so we wouldn't have to keep repeating the same information. Its been 12 days now so I'm falling down on the job.

Christmas was great. Nathan, Tina and the gang came here from NC on Saturday 12/20. Tina and the kids divided their time between her folks and us. Nathan stayed with us most of the time and he was a Godsend. He handled the snow blowing and shoveling as well as helping Lois with housework. He also eliminated some items on my honey-do list like installing a new toilet.

Todd, Lily and the boys came Christmas morning and stayed until Sunday. Matt, Nick and Will were here Saturday and Sunday and Mary was here most of the time with her siblings. They all pitched in and made it a wonderful holiday. (There was a period in early November when I thought I might not last till Christmas)

The picture shows 6 of our 8 grandchildren. Joe and Oscar (sleeping) are missing.

My breathing has been good (w/o oxygen) but I noticed that it was starting downhill again even after being drained. (180ml on 12/22 - 45ml/day, 130ml on 12/29 - 19ml/day. The fluid is now clearer and orange in color)

My blood tests (12/23 & 12/30) are still in good shape.

Yesterday (12/30) we got the results of the CT scan and it showed that the tumors have been reduced in size indicating that the chemo is working. The scan also showed a white substance on my lungs (right and left) that was not related to the cancer. I could be from an infection like bronchitis or pneumonia although I'm not running a fever. This might be the cause of my breathing loss. To play safe I was started on an antibiotic ( Levaquin 500mg for bacterial infections).

I had my 3rd of 6 chemo treatments yesterday and Avastin (the tumor specific drug) was added to the group. It took 7 hours to administer the 3 drugs.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Catch Up 3

I'm really starting to slip (blog wise) now. I haven't posted anything recently because things are becoming pretty routine and seem hardly worth writing about. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since last Saturday. Now I'm to the point where I can't remember what happened earlier this week.

Saturday 12/13
We drained 230ml. That's 3 days worth or 77ml/day.

Tuesday 12/16
Went to the clinic for my weekly blood test and everything looked good.
We started on our way to Chicago to have dinner with Lois's siblings for her birthday. It was cancelled at the last minute because of the snow storm (about 4").

Thursday 12/18
After 4 1/2 days we drained another 230ml (51ml/day).
Went to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Haasler, the surgeon who installed the drainage catheter. He was very pleased with my progress. He showed us my latest chest x-ray compared to one taken the day the drain tube was installed. My right lung was then restricted to about 30% of the capacity shown in the new x-ray.
I don't have to see Dr. Hassler again until the flow stops and the catheter is ready come out.

This morning we had another snowstorm (12") and I had an appointment for a CT Scan at 8:30 AM. I ended up getting the car stuck at the end of the driveway. Lois and the kid next door shoveled it out. We did make it to the hospital on time.

Things have really been great:
My breathing is very good (without oxygen) and hasn't been this good since, at least mid-september.
My hair has stopped falling out and I still have a thin layer left.
I've been able to tolerate the chemo very well without most of the usual side effects.
The pain meds are doing their job.
I keep thinking that this might be like a car, or computer, that runs great right before it fails.

Catch Up 2

Wednesday 12/10
Went to the clinic for another Neulasta 6 shot to build up my white blood cells. We also did another drainage procedure and only withdrew 120ml again and this was over a 2 day period. It looks like the fluid production has almost stopped (and I just ordered, and received, 10 more drainage kits.). We'll try the procedure again in 3 days (Saturday 12/13).

Thursday 12/11
Some of the chemo side effects have kicked in - tired, achy, chills etc. I spent most of the day napping.

Friday 12/12
In better shape but some of the side effects still hanging on. Todd, Lily and the boys are here. They are going to prepare a meal, on Saturday, for Lois's birthday (12/16). Gnocchi with gorganzola cream sauce and a lamb roast will be on the menu. I can't wait. We went to dinner at the local diner and I handled it well but would have been more comfortable staying home.

Saturday 12/13
In much better shape today. Its been a week now and still haven't used oxygen and have had no breathing problems.

Chemotherapy 2

Yesterday, Monday 12/8, was a very good day. I had no breathing problems and was able to do a few things around the house like repair broken Christmas decorations and ornaments, straighten up the kitchen and clearing a plugged humidifier line. Still haven't used any oxygen. We did the drainage procedure in the evening and withdrew only 120ml (0.12 liter) before the flow started sputtering. The fluid was darker and thicker - resembling blood. (Has the fluid build-up stopped?) We won't try again until Wednesday 12/10.

I had my second chemo treatment today and it went without any apparent problems. My blood tests also were within an acceptable range.

We talked to Dr. Haider and he thought I was doing well. At one point he was considering starting the Avastin next week. He then decided to wait until the next scheduled treatment, 12/30, and including it along with the other drugs. He doesn't seem to be too excited about the drainage catheter. He said he will probably want to have it taken out in a few months. He might be worried about the long term effects of having the catheter in place. We'll see.

Drain Works

The blog has fallen behind a bit so here's a brief rundown of the last 4 days:

Thursday 12/4
Went to meet Dr. Haasler and his associates. They checked me out and we went through the events leading up to this surgery. They also summarized what to expect before, during and after the procedure. Dr. Haasler seems like a nice guy.

Friday 12/5
Arrived at the hospital at 10:15. Had another chest x-ray and EKG along with filling out all the required forms. (How many times do you have to tell them about your allergies, past surgeries, current medication etc. I'm all in favor of on-line medical histories.) The catheter was installed at about 2PM and it only took about 20 minutes. The doctor said all went well and he drained 1 liter leaving some behind for some hands-on learning. My night nurse, Cora, walked me through the procedure, which is pretty simple, and I drained another 1/2 liter.

Saturday 12/6
Most of the day was spent waiting for paperwork to be completed so we could go home. I did get another chest x-ray and I performed another drainage procedure under the watchful eye of Lois and 2 day nurses. The nurses did not have much experience with the procedure (I think they watched the video just before assisting me). It was like trying to work with Laurel and Hardy. I did manage to withdraw another liter. (The reason that the drainage quantities are multiples of 1/2 liter is because that's how much each bottle holds).

We didn't get out of the hospital until after 3PM. We stopped at Farm & Fleet on the way home to pick up a few items. Because they didn't have an available wheel chair I ended up walking through the store with my portable oxygen bottle. My breathing rate increased a little but it wasn't an S.O.B. episode. After we got back in the car I discovered that I didn't have the oxygen turned on. Wow, this was major progress. At that point I decided to go without oxygen for as long as I could. I didn't use any during the rest of the day or when I slept. In fact, Lois and I slept together, in our bedroom, for the first time in weeks.

Sunday 12/7
This morning, like an expert, Lois did the draining procedure and collected 1 liter. We did it again this evening and got .93 liters. We stopped when the flow was sputtering and I started feeling a pain in my shoulder. The pleural cavity was essentially empty. (4.4 liters in 3 days). From this point we can determine what the buildup is each day.

The hair is really falling out now - I should be bald in a few more days. Still haven't used any oxygen

Drain System Go

Had my blood tested yesterday and all the test results were good. I talked to Dr. Haider about the drain tube procedure. He said he would OK it if they used the smaller Pleurx catheter and if it was installed before my next chemo treatment (Tuesday 12/9).

The surgeon, Dr. Haasler, agreed. The procedure is set up for Friday 12/5 at 10:15AM. I was originally told that it would be an outpatient procedure but now they want me to stay overnight in the hospital to double check it.

We found the website for the Pleurx catheter and on it they had a video on how to perform the drainage procedure. (Its amazing what you can find on the Internet). All of the necessary components are included in a sterile prepackaged kit. I think Lois feels a little better about having to do this but she's still concerned about infection. A visiting nurse will be coming to the house to walk us through it

New Doc

Got a call from Dr. George Haasler's office this morning. He is the thoracic surgeon that Dr. Mariani contacted. They wanted to set up an appointment to discuss the installation of a pleural drain catheter. I now have an appointment with him on Thursday at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. I haven't talked to Dr. Haider about this yet but I'm going to his office for a blood test this afternoon and will see him then. I won't proceed without his OK.

We had about 3" of snow last night and Lois got to use the snow blower for the first time. On Sunday Todd showed her how to operate it. She did a great job - much better than my first attempt.

After my shower this morning there was a handful of hair on the tub drain. Its starting.