Another day, another MRI

Another MRI, but Sarah, I thought your Dad JUST had one and was on a six month reprieve.

Well....that's what we thought to.  He had an MRI the end of January, after a heart episode.  He was told he would continue MRI's on a six month basis, versus the three month basis.  Imagine my surprise when I got a call from Dad confirming his appointment for April...April...that isn't six months.  A call to Mom to confirm the doctor actually ordered the MRI and not some computer error yielded this result: Dad's doctor looked at the films a second time and decided he needed to come back in three months.  He did not specify if he saw anything unusual, or if the lesions are growing, but we know he 'saw' something.

So, here we are three months later on the eve of the MRI.  He has been chemo free since September 2011,(I think, will need to look that up), so in theory his is due for another round.  Large dark cloud looming overhead, hoping the Lord's wind will blow it away.

Sarah:)

Little Late

No Chemo!!  Dad goes back the end of June.  No Whammys, we leave for vacation just a few days after that!!

No Chemo

No chemo for now!  Clean MRI, will go back at the end of March.  He still has lesions, but they have not developed into tumors...yet.

December Already?!?

Yep, December already. Three months has gone past and it is time again for Dad's MRI. To recap, the last MRI showed his main tumor was dead, but new tumors were forming. We find out tomorrow if he needs chemo again, or can wait. If he needs it, he will be in the hospital through Christmas Eve.

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It is hard to believe that we have been dealing with Dad's cancer a year the 27th?(or the 29, I don't hve my calendar in front of me). It is times like these that I wished they lived in a larger area, so there wasn't so much running back and forth. Each MRI/Chemo session is a week+, since my folks have to travel to STL and Dad has to stay here(he cannot come by himself). It makes me thankful that I don't have a paying job, since I can't leave Dad home alone for long stretches. No job would let me take a week off every month to three months. I am eternally grateful for my Hubby's family, who have been extremely understanding this Christmas season as to why we can't be there for Christmas/New Years this year. Also, there are no Christmas cards as of yet. I am thinking maybe in January, but don't hold your breath. There isn't a lot of Christmas spirit in my house, BUT I have my real tree, so it could it be worse.

--------------------------------Merry Christmas-----------------------------------------

MRI Update

MRI yesterday, (in the middle of the worst two weeks possible, but that is another post), results today. There is some positive news and some not so positive.

Positive: Main tumor is dead, no further treatment until December 19.

Not so positive: A new lesion has formed on his liver that will need to be watched. It could cause liver function problems as well as be susceptible to cancer-causing cells.

Now we wait until the week of Christmas,(I'm not happy about that, but Barnes doesn't really take patients' needs/wants into consideration). It will be our second Christmas glued to the phone waiting for treatment options.

Chemo #3

Dad made it through his third round of chemo. He was in more pain and had more nausea this time. He was convinced he had caught the flu from the hospital, since the side-effects were more pronounced. He is home now and recovering. We should know by the end of the week when his next MRI is to see if chemo #4 is necessary.

Chemo Round #3

MRI Monday showed that Dad's tumor had grown,(as was expected), and will have chemo tomorrow. Anybody in the area is welcome to come and hang out with Mom and I at Barnes. Hit up on my cell or Moms and let us know. I might be nice and share my snacks ;)

Clean MRI

Yep, a "clean" MRI. Dad is off the hook until the end of July/first of August. His tumor has not grown or metastasized. This does not mean he is cancer free, just in a holding pattern for now. He said it was the best birthday present ever!

Now that he is home, he would love to talk to folks on the phone. Either leave a comment here, or send me an email @ spow79@yahoo.com, and I will get you their phone number. We appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers. Special thanks to Janice for all the cards.

MRI

Dad has another MRI on the 3rd. 25% of Floyd was left last time, this time we are hoping for a much smaller percentage. Dad did not tolerate the chemo as well this time. He was in a lot of pain and had digestive issues which bought him an ER trip. He has been really tried and run down. He ended up receiving almost double the chemo from last time, so the side effects were to be expected. Send good thoughts his way, the 4th is his birthday and he is wanting good news for his birthday :)

Well, that was FAST!

So, Dad's MRI got changed to the 29th, (without his permission, I might add). That was fairly uneventful, in fact it took less time then the previous one. Got the phone call Wednesday at lunch that 'Floyd' was 75% dead and that more chemo would be administered Thursday. However there was a small glitch; his creatine levels were high and if they didn't come down there would be no chemo. Back to my house to spend the rest of the day flushing out the kidneys. He went in this morning for blood work and his levels were one point high, but they chose to do the chemo anyway. Now he is out of surgery and in a room resting. We are praying that there won't be a repeat of last time and NOT HAVE ANOTHER TIA!!!

Let's Catch Up

Dad is home now. He had a bunch of tests, several hospital gaffes, and no answers. The hospital took too long to test for a stroke, so all evidence was gone. He has a history of TIAs and they do not leave evidence for long. Neither hospital listened or read his medical history to know he has a history of this. Both folks are beyond frustrated with Christian Hospital and will not go back. It brought back memories from another hospital from our family past... Now Dad's legs are weaker again and he is having more trouble walking. Like Mom said, he cannot go through this each time he has a chemo treatment, it is unacceptable.

He has an MRI on the 28th to chekc out 'Floyd' and will more then likely have another round of TACE the first of April.

Oncologist

Good News! The cancer is localized to the liver; it has not spread anywhere else. Bad news, there are few options other then surgery to remove the tumor. There is a possibility of doing something called Radiofrequency Ablation. They are suppoed to meet with a surgeon at Barns Jewish Hospital here in STL sometime next week. Mom is doing LOTS of research on different treatments and facilities in the US in hopes of making some kind of decision. Until then, PLEASE PRAY!

Diagnosis

We received results from Dad's biopsy today. He has liver cancer. He goes to see the oncologist on Tuesday and will have a PET scan to determine if there is anymore cancer in his body. He cannot have a full-body MRI due to the metal in his body. My parents ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Updates will come as warranted.