Update on my Husband Bob

Hello to all... wanted to give an update on my husband. Some of you may recall that he is in his third battle with the beast since mid 2009. He had rads and chemo in 2009, surgery with wrist flap in 2010, and on March 5, had another surgery with pectoral flap used. They were unable to get clean margins; therefore, chemo and rads will be coming soon. Appt with rad onco is 4/11 and we expect it will all start the next week, which will be right on target for 6 weeks following surgery and I understand that is the standard at our hospital.

My husband got a trach during surgery and ent wants him to keep it through rads, just in case needed for swelling. Apparently the pec flap is a bit bulkier than the old flap and he says - better safe than sorry. We agree.

All that said, last Tuesday night Bob comes walking into the living room with blood pouring out of his trach/stoma area. OMG it was scary. We loaded up and went to ER, which was a very short drive away. Over the next few hours the blood loss greatly slowed down and his ENT said - bring him here, to his hospital, which is across town. So he was loaded up and taken by ambulance late Tuesday night/early Wed morning to the big hospital where his ENT Oncologist is. They gave him a CT scan and saw nothing wrong.

Turns out this can be a 'complication' of the trach.... somehow a blood vessel got bumped or something and burst, causing the bleeding. Although there was much concern at the first hospital, our ENT Onc wasn't overly excited about it and said it is just a freak thing that can happen. He said very scary with all that blood, but (in his words), it's only blood and as long as it stops it's ok. OMG... easy for him to say!

We've since had a follow up appointment and he's doing fine.

I am very concerned, frankly, as I know what the chemo and rads is going to do to him. He has no weight to lose (6'1 and 180 lbs/he has a peg tube), is still weak from the surgery, already has reduced kidney function and the list goes on. But Bob says, what choice do we have?! He's right and we will get through it. All I can pray for is lots of good drugs and that IT WORKS!!!

I have no idea if being radiated a second time makes the side affects worse? Will ask the rad onco next week. I also am worried about him laying flat with the trach - it is virtually impossible for him to lay flat. Ugh... all these things going through my head and I know they must be going through his and much more. I feel so helpless. Trying to take it one day at a time.

Please say a prayer for us. Also thinking about all the other warriors out there fighting - hang in there.