Update on my Dad -- this disease is garbage

I just received a text from my mother.

'Tests' (I am assuming the CT Dad did Monday) showed Dad's bone met's have shrunk 'way down' and that the spot on his kidney is barely there!!!!

Dad's troubles stem from fluid in his left lungs.

The Lung Dr. (how he would know, I have no idea) said that Dad's issues can be chalked up to Cabo side effects, except for the lung fluid.

We still have to get this lung deal taken care of, but that news about the cancer itself...WOW.

They handed us hospice materials twice yesterday (from this same lung doc).

Well the speech and throat lady has found that Dad is too weak to swallow. It is taking him so long he is just giving up trying to eat food bites. 

And there was a small gap in his esophagus they hope the remedied with the recent lung fluid procedure. 

He has swallowing exercises and Dr. will talk to him about a feeding tube. Mom says they are in for a long stay in the hospital. 

Dad hasn't had nutrition all week, so of course he is even weaker with all he has been through! 

Mom then said he has to make up his mind about the tube. I asked her if the feeding tube would allow him to gain stregnth to then eat on his own, and she says the speech pathologist thought so, so then I said "Well what is there to make a decision about then since this is temporary!" 

We were so excited about the Cabo working so well, but we have such a long road ahead! 

They have been giving him IV fluids too. 

He's pretty lucid through all this except when he is sleeping. Heh. of course. He seems to look and be better to me each day he is here. But he arrived awfully sick. 

Mom and Dad were UP yesterday when they found out the drugs are working and the CT scan looked awesome, then they found out about the feeding tube and that has knocked the wind out of their sails. 

My family doesn't know about medical stuff, I think they think a feeding tube makes him into Darth Vadar or something. Like it's akin to keeping a vegetable alive. 

My aunt is a nurse and she explained it to mom. 

One thing we ALL need to do is not regard any hospitcal info as gospel except what our Oncologist says. He is the one running the show. He's in and out of there all day checking up on him, and he comes in and summerized everything that is going on and our plan moving forward. 

Well, our Onc. Doc just came in. Said no feeing tube. We are going to do a liquid diet and Dad has to sit up while eating. 

Thanks everybody. Last week Amy_Jo I prayed for you at Eucharist. Forgot your name but I just envisioned your picture! You are around the same age as my wife (pictured in my photo). I just hate that you are having to deal with this. 

They are giving Dad a scope today to see if he has a lung tumor. No tumor showed on the CT they did last week and his fluid tested negative as well so I guess they just want to make absolutely sure. He's had so much trouble with that one lung and fluid on the outside and inside. 

They make due surgery later today to scrape his lungs too. 

Dad gets depressed in the hospital. The lung doc seemed to think he was better yesterday. Dad says he can't really tell either way due to the drugs.