Randy started his new chemo treatment on Wednesday Apr 2.   Takes an hour now instead of three.  He did, and is still going through some of the side effects which are flu like symptoms and joint pain.  Wednesday afternoon/evening they started and continue till today.  He feels bit better today.  The fatigue is back too.  This new chemo drug is going to also, pretty certain, cause Randy to lose his hair, eyebrows and possibly his eye lashes.  He has already lost some of his hair but the doctor warned us it will all go now.  He will have 3 cycles of this new drug and then a CT scan to see if it is doing anything.

He continues to struggle with stomach/lower abdomen pain.  The morphine does not help that.  If it becomes unbearable we will call our home care nurse.  So far Randy feels he can handle it.  It's a constant annoyance for him.  We do have an appointment now with the pain clinic on April 15th.

“Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for this day. Thank You for blessing us with it and in it another opportunity to serve You. Thank You for being the light in this dark world. We thank You for the enormous blessings that You send our way. Thank You for the opportunity to serve others in Your name. 

 

I lift up all cancer patients to you. Please be with them and give them comfort and peace during this battle. They need Your care and attention. Please be with them in this journey and where it’s Your will, bring about healing to their bodies. Please be with their families as well as they join their loved ones on this journey. 

 

Amen

Our visit with the doctor today was another long day for Randy.  We talked about the CT scan that was done on March 19th.  I'm afraid it was not very good news.  The tumors have not shrunk much and the ones on the liver have increased 25%.  In talking with Dr. Tam they expect a 30 - 35% decrease in tumor size with the treatment plan Randy was on.  Randy has decided to stop the current chemo treatment of the 3 drugs and start the second line chemo treatment.  It will be one drug administered every 3 weeks thru the IV port and will start this Wednesday.  There will still be side effects for Randy but the new chemo drug, Docetaxel, is a bit easier on the body and hopefully the side effects aren't as severe.  Still hoping and praying it will either halt the tumor growth or even shrink them. 

We decided that quality of life is more important then quantity.  The 3 drug plan was knocking the S**T out of Randy so he did not have much "quality" of life.  These past two weeks have been so nice.  Randy is a bit more like his old self.  Still gets tired but at least he's a bit more awake for longer stretches of time.

Dr. Tam is also sending Randy to the Pain Clinic to see if they can help control the stomach pain better.  The morphine does not alleviate it at all.  Every time Randy hiccups its like a knife being stuck into his side.  He hiccups every time he moves positions!!

The CT scan is not needed on Wednesday and will be re-scheduled in two months time to see how the new chemo drug is doing. 

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers. 

O Merciful Infant Jesus!
I know of Your miraculous deeds for the sick.
How many diseases You cured during Your blessed life on earth,
and how many venerators of Your Miraculous image
ascribe to You their recovery
and deliverance from most painful and hopeless maladies.
I know, indeed, that a sinner like me
has merited his sufferings
and has no right to ask for favoUrs.
But in view of the innumerable graces
and the miraculous cures granted
even to the greatest sinners
through the veneration of Your holy infancy,
particularly in the miraculous statue of Prague
or in representations of it,
I exclaim with the greatest assurance:
O most loving Infant Jesus, full of pity,
You can cure me if You will!
Do not hesitate, O Heavenly Physician,
if it be Your will
that I recover from this present illness;
extend Your most holy hands,
and by Your power take away all pain and infirmity,
so that my recovery may be due,
not to natural remedies,
but to You alone.
If, however, You in Your inscrutable wisdom
have determined otherwise,
then at least restore my soul to perfect health,
and fill me with heavenly consolation and blessing,
that I may be like You, O Jesus,
in my sufferings,
and may glorify Your providence until,
at the death of my body,
You bestow on me eternal life.

Amen.

Since Monday Randy has started having tummy troubles again, the issue has never really been resolved.  He says its like a constant ache, he has been struggling to eat.  He did weigh himself and gained some weight back, which is great.  Our nurse, Jodi, was here on Wednesday and said to keep up with the routine that was established while in the hospital but this could be how it is as they are unsure what is causing it.  Not sure if the CT will tell them anything??  Guess we will find out Monday.

The time has flown by.  Dan will be graduating from SAIT, has started to apply for jobs and go for interviews, another one next Wednesday.   Andrew turns 18 and graduates from High School and Matthew will have successfully finished grade 10.  Seems like yesterday they were all toddlers enjoying being kids without the stresses of growing up!!

It has been 5 days since Randy was in the hospital.  He is doing a bit better.  More energy and less lightheadedness. We've talked for longer in these last 5 days then in the past few months.   The kids are happy to have him more alert.  He has been walking around the house scaring me, it's been a few months since he had the energy to do this.  Sometimes I come into the living room and he's gone somewhere.....lol    Still working on his model.  Does a little bit at a time then rests. 

The feeding is still a bit of a struggle, his bloating has become less severe but he still gets pain later during the night.  Has to stop feeding.  At least he is eating every night.  :)

He is scheduled for another CT scan on Apr 2nd to see how not having chemotherapy has affected the tumors compared to the last CT done on Wed March 19th. 

Please pray the tumors have not grown so much. 

Almighty and Eternal God,
You are the everlasting health of those who believe in You.
Hear us for Your sick servant Randy
for whom we implore the aid of Your tender mercy,
that being restored to bodily health,
he may give thanks to You in Your Church.
Through Christ our Lord.

 

Amen

Hooray!!!! Randy was able to come home yesterday afternoon.  He is feeling worlds better then he did on Monday.  The blood transfusion and extra hydration seemed to give him a boost.  Just last night you can see a difference.  He was awake more and talking more!!  He actually has started to build on a model.  He's putting tank tracks together!!!!

He was able to eat, at a slower rate, for 7 hours on Tuesday night.  Last night he was able to eat 3.5 cans of the Ensure over 13 hours!  He was a little bloaty this morning but now as bad as before. 

I want to say thanks to our Home Care nurse, Jodi, who was able to get Randy where he should be.  I feel so much better to have her on our side. 

The CT scan results were not in by the time we left so we should get them on the 31st at our scheduled appointment time.  The doctors did say from his "un-trained eye" that he did not see much difference from the last CT (from January) but not to quote him as the tumors are measured in millimeters by the technologist and then compared to the last one we won't know how much any have shrunk/grown/stayed the same until report is in. 

They are going to suspend the chemo treatments for a couple weeks to allow Randy some time to get stronger.  His new medicines to help his tummy seems to be ok.  No adverse reactions!!  Praise God.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers this past week.  It is wonderful to know how loved Randy is and that you all care!!

God of Love,
I thank You for the people in my life
who are easy to love.
I thank You for my family and friends
who understand my actions,
who support me in my decisions,
and whose presence can lift the burden of a thorny day.

 

Amen

Randy is still in the hospital.  They did x-rays and were negative for any blockage in his bowels and intestines.  The blood work showed that his hemoglobin's were quite low, these are the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. So he had a blood transfusion today to help bump up the count.  They put in 1 pint and we'll see if he needs more.  His color looked better after that.  Not so gray, more pink in his cheeks!!

There was a mix up with the doctor's orders last night and so Randy did not have any food.  They were not entered into the system so the nurses were unable to give him any.  He was drinking clear fluids through out the day.  Chicken and beef broth, popsicles, juice and jello plus being hydrated with a saline IV.  Just that made him feel better.

They are working on finding the correct medicine to help with the "flow" in his gut.  Gave him a new medicine that coats the stomach to try and relieve the bloating.  Hoping that helps.

He is scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow.  They are going to see if the cancer has gone elsewhere and this could be why he is bloated.  Praying not. 

Not sure how long he will be in the hospital.  He is hoping sooner rather than later.  Misses being home for sure as the beds there are not comfy at all.  I hope I can bring him home tomorrow.......fingers crossed.

“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love    

Randy continues to struggle with eating.  Yesterday he was even struggling to get water into his feeding tube.  He felt like he was going to explode because he was so bloated.  I called our nurse, Jodi, and she thought it best that Randy go to the hospital.  She was able to contact the oncologist, Dr Tam, and got Randy a direct admit to a unit at the hospital.  This was awesome!!!!we did not have to go to Emergency.

They are going to run some tests and take x-rays to try and figure out what is going on with him.  Why is he so bloated. He has lost more weight since last Monday when we had the doctor's appointment. 

Finger's crossed they can figure out what is going on and help Randy to feel better and gain some strength back.  They will be suspending his chemo treatments until he is stronger.  I will update as we know more. 

Kim

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the Sick, we turn to You in this time of illness. O dearest Comforter of the Troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries in Your hands. We ask that You restore Your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge Your holy will and know that whatsoever You do, You do for the love of us.
Amen.