Just coasting through....

Nothing major has been going on.  Radiation is tough on Jason with the meds before hand making him very sick to his stomach.  We do however think we found a way to beat that!!  Popsicles!!  If he eats a Popsicle right after it helps!

The tumor is looking great!!  It has continued to shrink and make his doctors very happy!  Jason has been making friends in the clinic during his pre-treatment. He has a new friend who is a cop with lung cancer.  I met him Friday and he is very nice.

Sunday we were given an amazing gift from our breeder!  We have our 3rd corgi!  His name is Buster and he is a great source of distraction for the kids!  Friday he went with us to treatment and met just about every nurse in the building, Buster was a huge hit and is expected to make repeat appearances.

Below - Dr. Gerson with Buster Friday at the office.  She is AMAZING!

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who has brought us meals or plans to!  I wish I had the time to thank each of you personally....so instead her is a great big THANK YOU!  It means the world to us that people want to help!

Smaller IS better!!!

Thursday we went to our appointment as normal and everything was going as planned.  While heading over to radiology Jason asked Dr Gerson to give him some good news and tell him the tumor is smaller!  She looks side to side all sneaky like and says "ok...open up!"  Her face was of surprise and she said "I need a light!!"  That was when they came and grabbed him to get set up for his treatment.  Dr Gerson came out from the room smiling from ear to ear and said...."I really do think it looks smaller!!!"  I about fell over!  Jason was worried that she said it just to make him feel better....I assured him that is not her job...honesty is!  That car ride home was horrible!  The medicine they give him to protect his saliva glands make his saliva very thick and taste horrible.  He has to lay in radiation for 20 minutes swallowing it and feeling bad.....so that should explain what our car ride was like.

Today we had the kids go with us to see where dad goes to make him better.  We had an appointment with Dr Chua  so the kids were happy to meet a doctor.  Dr Chua came in and said the same thing....the tumor is shrinking!!  She said his neck looks great too!  When he came in the first time she said his one side of his next was visibly larger than the other.  Today his neck was even on both sides!  She looked at his tongue and said and I quote "OH YES, that is definitely smaller!!"  I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing those words!!

The kids sat in the hall while Jason got his pre-radiation meds and I went back and forth.  They really did do a great job!  I thought there would be a ton of fighting...the little fighting we had was quiet.  They got a tour of the radiation room and they showed them the back of the machine.  Lots of nuts and bolts etc!  Needless to say when Austin saw it his eyes were as big as saucers and all he said was "WOW".  The ride home was a rough one one again.....but I keep trying to remind him, the weeks of crap now will make the rest of his life better!

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to bring us a meal!  It has meant the world to us to have a little down time after treatment and not worry about cooking!  The meals have been amazing!

Let the feeding (tube) begin!

After talking with Dr. Gerson about Jason's weight loss we decided it was time to start using his feeding tube!  In a matter of 4 weeks Jason lost 20lbs. When we had the G tube placed the nurse went over the directions very quickly and it was a fake feeding, so I learned nothing!  I was very nervous about using the tube and scared I would do something wrong.  Yesterday my friend Lori came over and walked us through a feeding....breathing easy now! Once we work out a routine it will be a piece of cake!  I got a book to keep track of everything he eats and drinks and when  he takes what meds.  That is the only way I will be able to keep track!

Also yesterday, Rachel helped us set up a meal page.  This will help us out SO much!!  There are many days that after treatment the LAST thing I want to do is go stand in the kitchen and cook.  Noah has been doing a great job at helping, but I still have to be close and help.  I want to say this now....THANK YOU to everyone who is, has, or will be helping us!  I may not remember to thank you as often as I should - my brain has been mush - but please know that we appreciate all the help we get and this includes prayers!

The weekend has been a rough one.  Jason has had nausea from the chemo and we have even made a trip to Jewish hospital oncology to have and IV and anti-nausea meds given.  Kicking cancers butt is a tough job...but we are still ready to do it!

My plea to you - If you text or call and we don't call back, please don't worry or get upset!  This is a lot for us to deal with and we get tons of text messages and phone calls and TONS of questions - our brains get over loaded.  I could tell you what my day/night consist of and what Jason's does....but I wont.  I understand everyone wants to know whats going on and if Jason is ok.  He is fine!  We have a few really rough months to go through, but we will make it through and will be so much stronger on the other side.  Freaking out and worrying will not help, all it does is make the healing process harder!  I don't want Jason to worry about ANYTHING other than getting better!  Positive thoughts only!!  My job is to take care of JASON and my kids....no one else!  I don't mean to sound mean but I have to keep my focus where it needs to be, and honestly I'm lucky to have energy to do that!

Last comment then I will stop with my demands.....MANY of you question what we are doing...treatment, meds etc.  We have THE BEST doctors on our side, they want nothing but the best for Jason - and they will do everything in their power to be sure he has everything he needs!  They make sure we know all the consequences of not following their orders ...we know ALL the information.  Please don't question what we are doing or try to suggest other things.  We will do exactly what our doctors say and nothing else!  They know what they are doing and I trust them 110%!

I'm sorry about the last 2 paragraphs, but the last few days I have been bombarded by questions, comments, calls, texts, etc and it caused me to have a break down I did not need to have!  I have to stay strong and I will!  :)

The link to the meal page is to the right of this entry at the top!

First Day of Chemo.....

Yesterday was our first day of chemo.  We were the first in the center...actually got there before much of the staff! They took Jason's vitals and we got to meet with Dr Chua.  She said we should start using the feeding tube every day now.  After a quick visit with her we headed to the lab.  We got a new nurse who's name was Beth, normally we have Megan.  (Megan stayed close though!)  They started giving Jason all his pre-meds before they give the chemo.

I had an 11:00 chiropractor appointment so I ran to that while he hung out with the nurses.  On the way back I grabbed him a small 3 way and he scarfed it!  Not long after I came they took him to the bed and started his pre-radiation fluids.  The fluids that help protect his saliva glands.  He has become a pro at this and his vitals are still great while they give him the drug. (BP can bottom out with this drug)  While he was on the bed I met a nice lady about our age sitting next to me.  Her name is Michelle and she has breast cancer.  We compared stories and found that she will be on chemo every 3 weeks so we were excited to see each other again!

Heading to radiation I was unsure of what to expect!  Every day is a new adventure there!  We got there early and Jason and I sat together on the bed in the hall.  He even got to play Hall monitor...MY JOB!  Thursday I was named hall monitor since I was  all knowing of where people were!  Let me start with this...it's never a dull moment when Dr Gerson and I are together!  Once she found that we have a great sense of humor she ran with it!  THIS day, she sat next to me on the bed....it was Dr Gerson, me and then Jason.  She turns to me in a hush tone and says..."ready to do the radiation wave???"  She went first with me following and Jason pulling up the rear!  It worked once and she had to call other over to watch us!  They went through many names for our wave ending with the head nurse saying it was the "Micro-wave".  Ole radiation humor at it's best!  While Jason was getting loaded with his radiation Linn came to talk to me. Linn is the brains in the group.  He does all the fittings and settings for radiation.  We talked about Jason, about family and then Dr Gerson came over!  I love this woman!!!  She said he needed to show me his special trick....I was intrigued!  He had to go do something and Dr Gerson told me he has an AMAZING talent!  She said they can be standing having a team huddle and be all serious and Linn will jump from where is is standing and can land on the counter top!!!  I can't wait to see this!  I think she is going to have him do it next Friday for the kids.  They are off school so I thought I would take them with us so they can see everything.  The radiologist team said they would give the kids a tour of the room!  Dr Gerson is very excited to see the kids....when I told her they were coming she yelled "YEAH!  And I can play with them???"  I LOVE THIS WOMAN! The photos below are of the mask that Jason wears for every treatment.  Looks like something out of a scary movie!!

After he came out we did vitals and headed back to the lab for CHEMO!  This time we started talking to a guy in the corner of the room.  He was in a very similar situation as Jason.  He has the same type of cancer but his was found in the glands in the back of his mouth. They tried to remove them but did not get rid of it so now he is doing the same treatment as Jason with one slight difference.  He is getting his chemo for 3 weeks straight rather than 3 weeks apart like ours.  He is on the same chemo and goes to radiation too.  It was nice for Jason to have someone to talk to that is further along in the process.  He told him about cream for his face and that he really does not feel that bad!  We will see him next Friday also.  The nurses at the lab are so great!  Fay is an older lady who has more energy than my entire family combined! I think I found her fuel though!  She had me open no kidding like 16 creamer packets into her coffee cup!  I had to have fun with this to on the side I wrote...."Fay's creamer with coffee".  She LOVED it!

We were finished at about 5:00 and headed for home.  LONG day!  About 7pm Jason started to feel very sick!  It ended up being a long night of switching between the 2 nausea meds they gave him.  Once he gets them in he feels pretty good, but until they start working it's rough!  I think we will ask for a different medicine....Megan was telling us about it yesterday at chemo. Jason wants to get out of the house today so after my hair appointment I think I will take him out for a bit.  I told him I have to go buy his bubble first!  :)

FIRST WEEK OF CANCER TREATMENT DOWN!!!!!!!

Radiation time!!!

The last 2 days have been so busy that I have to really think while posting this blog!  I hope I don't bounce around too much......

Tuesday was our first radiation appointment!!  I have learned one very important detail in cancer treatment....just when you think you know what is going on and have a set schedule.....YOU DON'T!  We were told the day before that we had to come in early because they wanted to give Jason an injection to try to prevent remnant damage to his saliva glands.  We got to the Radiology dept and when Jason's nurse saw us she said we have to go to the oncology side for the injection, so we packed up and headed across the hall!  We went back and they showed us around and told us all about the injection.  They would give him a saline drip with  anti-nausea meds.  Then they moved him to a bed that can be inverted because this injection can cause a massive drop in blood pressure and if he drops they can help regulate him by flipping him upside down.  They checked his vitals every few minutes and he stayed steady!  Apparently we were running a little behind because Bonnie had to keep coming over to rush the girls!  They are BIG about staying on schedule!!  When he was finished with the meds they wheeled him over to radiology for his first treatment.  This first one took a little longer as they had to double check his settings.  Jason's nurse Bonnie hung out with me and she really is an amazing woman!  Once we were done, we headed for home!  Jason felt pretty good after his first treatment, he was tired but felt ok.  The photo below is one I got while sitting outside of the radiology room.

Today we got to Oncology at 11:00am.  Tomorrow we will go at 11:30....we were a little early!  There was another small delay as they devised the plan...this is not a treatment they do often so it is new to many of the nurses!  I have to say they handle it like CHAMPS!  Jason's vitals once again stayed solid and he headed over for his second radiation treatment.  One of the nurses tried to move him and pushed a bit to close to his G tube which caused him some pain.  I told him from now on no matter where he is, or what he is doing he MUST tell them he has that!  I also said I would have a shirt made with a red button on it that said "DON'T push my button". Once they were done they let me go in and see the room! I think I will ask tomorrow if I can go again and get a photo.  I like to grab as many photos as I can so that the kids can see what is going on.  On the way out we ran into Dr Gerson...I love this woman!  She was asking how he was feeling and how the injections were, then she started to pet him like a dog!  HA HA

We start chemo on Friday and that will be a packed day!  We have to be there by 7:45am to start the bag at 8:00am and have radiation as scheduled at 1:20pm.  I'm thinking I will ditch him and go to the chiropractor while he gets his bag and then go back!

We have yet another surgery on Tuesday.  He will have his "super port" placed early that morning and then head to radiation that afternoon.  The port is medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin.  A catheter connects the port to a vein.  Under the skin the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort to the patient than regular needle sticks.  This will be placed on his chest just under his collar bone.  Below is a photo of what will be placed in his chest.

Faith and Austin have both been in to talk with the school councilor and I contacted one of Noah's teachers to see if he would talk to Noah.  I just want the kids to know they have people other than the ones around them all the time to talk to.  As for me...I started a slight melt down today but I think I pulled out well.  It can be overwhelming when looking at all I have to do day to day!  This is my life for the next 9 or so weeks and I might as well get used to it!  Noah has been stepping up and really helping me out!  He has been asking if he can start cooking dinner so we have been working on learning how to make certain meals.  he also has learned how to do laundry and is helping with that!  He has his teenage moments and that is ok!

Enough typing....time to clean up dinner and do some laundry!  :)