Day 2

Ok, next update. Dad had his first day of chemo yesterday. It went really well. Took longer than it normally will, only because the nurse had to go through all the information we'll need to know for the future cycles. It was a lot to listen to and take notes for, but I think I got a pretty good grasp of everything. Today he was there at 8:30 am and it's now 6:00 pm and he should be finishing up as I type this. Long day and I know he's tired from sitting and doing nothing. He gets a dose of steroids with each treatment, which gives him a ton of energy. I got off work last night and went home to the house completely clean. Jordan looked at me and said, "I don't know what's wrong with him." It was so funny to see him like that. We'll see if the steroids do the same thing today or if he will be more tired.

One of the things the nurses are worried about are sores in his mouth. Three of the four drugs commonly cause sores which can migrate down his GI tract if he doesn't keep them under control. We went to Walmart and got mouth rinse and the nurse gave us a recipe for a rinse that is supposed to help prevent them and keep them clean once he does get some.

He got to see Dane today. Dane had a treatment at 11:00 am, and I told him that if I had to come up there and sit with him and Dane to keep them out of trouble, I wasn't going to be happy! I think he was on his best behavior.

Thank you all for all of your prayers, thoughts, and support. It means so much to us. For now, the only thing to do is to keep praying. He is still moving lots and we are going to try our best to keep him active and going. Pray for patience for us and him as we go through this, and as it starts to get difficult.

We went to Dad's appointment today to start chemo. Dad is going to start a chemo treatment called MVAC. It stands for Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Adriamycin, and Cisplastin. It is the strongest and most effective form of chemo for bladder cancer. He will go through 3 cycles of chemo, and after 2 he will go back to the surgeon at KU med center to see how he's responding and to do more tests. Each cycle will be 28 days. Day 1 of each cycle will be a 45 minute treatment of just the methotrexate. Day 2 will be a 9 hour treatment of the vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplastin. The cisplastin is the potent drug that will make Dad sick and is probably going to be the toughest. Day 3 he just goes and gets a shot that will help keep his white blood cell count up. Day 15 and day 22 will be a treatment of the methotrexate and the vinblastine. He will have lab work done each week. This is going to be a long road, but we will make it through it. Please pray for strength and pray for encouragement for Dad. This is really hard for him, especially since he will lose all hair he has, including his beard, which makes us all kind of sad. We have lots of support though and we are going to take things just a couple days at a time.
Dad is also going to be participating in a clinical trial for a drug that might help his nausea. He won't know if he's getting the actual medicine or if he's getting the placebo. It will only last for his first cycle of chemo, and he will only have to take this for 5 days starting on his second day of treatment. Hopefully the nausea won't be absolutely unbearable.
We are really hoping this passes quickly. Keep praying and I'll try to keep updates coming via my blog.

Another Day...

Sorry that it's been awhile since I've blogged. I know that I need to update. Dad met with the oncologist and him and Mom didn't like what they heard, so Mom set an appointment for Dad to meet with a surgeon from KU med center in Kansas City. He had his appointment with that doctor this past Friday. The doctor said that the best thing to do right now is to do a couple of rounds of chemo. He goes back to the oncologist tomorrow to start the chemo. Mom is out of town right now, so I'm gonna take mom's place at the appointment. I have to take lots of notes and listen and ask questions when I feel like they're needed.

On top of everything, Jordan and I are sick. With Dad starting chemo tomorrow, Jo and I need to be as healthy as possible in order to keep Dad healthy. Dad's doctor told him that this kind of chemo could make him very sick. There are some things that he can do to help feel a little better though. Drinking a lot of fluids, like juices, getting some exercise, and just staying active can help keep Dad better. We went to Dillons today and stocked up on juice and soap and sanitizer. We're probably gonna get Dad a membership at the MRC so he can start working out and staying active. This will also help with his recovery time after the removal surgery.

On a lighter note, I had a great time watching the boys this past weekend while Len and Linds were in Vegas. Braeden has started walking by himself mostly. We're definitely excited about that! I love getting to see those boys and I love getting to spend time with them. I did get sick while I was up there, but I made it through. Anyway, I need to get some sleep considering I am sick. It's off to bed for me.