A postive update on Dad (Hayden)

casp42
casp42 Member Posts: 79
edited December 2011 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi Friends,
It’s been a few weeks or a month since I’ve written about my dad (Hayden). They made the trip back to Chicago beginning of November, stopping on the hour due to the blood clots (so a typical 8 hr drive turned into 12 hrs). How wonderful that he is home! When dad saw Dr. Luketich before leaving, Dr. Luketich told him he had a lot help from upstairs, because those clots were enormous! I’m truly blessed we went to UPMC, they do so many surgery and they react quickly to complications and they know how to handle them. I don’t think he would of got the same care back home.

So, I thank all my wonderful friends for all the power prayers to get my dad through everything.

I didn’t want to write anything until today, he had to go back to UPMC this week and I didn’t want to jinx anything. I’m a little superstitious!

On Thursday (yesterday), dad met with Dr. Gibson (oncologist), Dr. Luketich team! After waiting many hours and being on pins and needles, 1st Dr. Gibson-reviewed extensively dad’s chart read the biopsy report backwards and forward and said you don’t need additional chemo. All 36 lymph nodes came back negative and the pathology report is very good, the chemo and radiation did the job! Woohoo….What a relief!!!

2nd Dr. Levy and Dr. T, “you look good” tomorrow we will do the EGD, check it out and a little stretch, take out your port and the filter in the groin! Okay, see you tomorrow!
Today, Friday they had to be at the hospital by 5 am, yikes another early day! Per Dr. Levy the power port is removed, he has a pressure dressing on the wound for 24 hours. The esophagus looks good, scope went down well and very little stretching. See you in 4 mths. for a CT scan!

Dr. Levy said that dad can start taking all his vitamins, the most successful people are the ones that eat 5 small meals a day, take 30 minutes to eat, very little or no beverages with meals, small bites and chewing well. If dad could only figure out, how not to slide out of the bed!

Thanks again everyone for all the support on this board, I don’t know what I would do without everyone of you! I’m more a looker than a writer, I look probably 3-5x a day!

Hugs to everyone,
Carolyn

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #3
    Wonderful news. So glad to
    Wonderful news. So glad to hear your dad is doing well and has gotten past the complications. Thank you for the update. Enjoy the holidays.

    Hugs,
    Cindy
  • Freida
    Freida Member Posts: 182
    #4
    Carolyn
    So very happy that
    Carolyn
    So very happy that your dad is doing well.

    Thank you so much for sharing your good news. We are just at the beginning of this scary journey and it really helps to read other people's experiences. We are off to Houston and M D Anderson tomorrow for a week of tests and appointments. I have to say, the more amazing stories I read about Dr Luketich, the more I wonder if I should be dragging Bill there instead of M D Anderson. I am told MDA is pretty wonderful, but Dr Luketich sounds like something really special.

    Hugs to you and your family
    Freida
  • casp42
    casp42 Member Posts: 79
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thanks William and Loretta!
    Thanks William and Loretta! I'm hoping one day we will meet each other, thanks for all the inspiration. Loretta, I hope your mom is doing okay. Prayers to both of you and I wish you both a Merry Christmas!

    Carolyn
  • casp42
    casp42 Member Posts: 79
    #6
    unclaw2002 said:

    Wonderful news. So glad to
    Wonderful news. So glad to hear your dad is doing well and has gotten past the complications. Thank you for the update. Enjoy the holidays.

    Hugs,
    Cindy

    Thanks!
    Thanks Cindy, it was pretty rough road for awhile! I finally feel more like myself lately, I feel a big relief right now. Thanks for the prayers,

    Hugs and have a wonderful holiday season,

    Carolyn
  • casp42
    casp42 Member Posts: 79
    #7
    Freida said:

    Carolyn
    So very happy that
    Carolyn
    So very happy that your dad is doing well.

    Thank you so much for sharing your good news. We are just at the beginning of this scary journey and it really helps to read other people's experiences. We are off to Houston and M D Anderson tomorrow for a week of tests and appointments. I have to say, the more amazing stories I read about Dr Luketich, the more I wonder if I should be dragging Bill there instead of M D Anderson. I am told MDA is pretty wonderful, but Dr Luketich sounds like something really special.

    Hugs to you and your family
    Freida

    Thanks so much!
    Freida,

    Thanks so much! It's a very scary journey, dad was hospitalized twice during chemo and radiation. Week 1-chemo and radiation was very hard on him, couldn't swallowed, eat, and very lethargic. Blood pressure dropped very low and was in the hospital for 5 days. At that time they started him on decadron (steroid) to help him to eat for 10 days, it help him extremely. During the 6 weeks his wbc-dropped extremely low...had neupogen shot several times and week 5 dad passed out and was hospitalized again. Low wbc again, after chemo was finished had another shot of neulasta.

    One thing I could stress is being hydrated, after being hospitalized the 1st time the DR. arranged hydration for every day at home. This was so helpful to dad, for extra protein we bought whey protein and was put in his milk shakes every day. Don't forget cancer strives on sugar.

    I was debating between MD Anderson and UPMC for surgery. But, decided with the pioneer of the MIE surgery, we went with UPMC.

    Hugs to you, think positive, lots of prayers,

    Carolyn

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