One more to go....

So Dad's platelet count is holding up nicely and had his second to last infusion on Tuesday. He is excited to be so close to getting the treatments behind him. The side effects have not been as bad and mostly he is tired. His CAT scans are scheduled for August 10th.

Jack III

Yesterday was a very good day

Dad went in for his weekly visit to the Oncologist yesterday and his platelet count was up to 197,000. This was so encouraging they decided to start Cycle 2 of his treatment and his dosage is up to 100%. He is now scheduled to have 2 more weekly infusions followed a week later with new CAT scans.

His side effects have also lightened up a bit, especially the most severe which have made the first 24 hours after treatment pretty bad. Mostly he is just fatigued but very happy and optimistic; as he looks over his shoulder for signs of Murphy :)

Keep your love, positivity, and prayers headed his way. It’s working.

Jack III

Bumps in the road.....

So as it turns out, Dad’s lowered platelet count led his Oncologist to start his Gemzar dosage at 75% from the start. When he went into treatment #3 Tuesday, his platelet count was down in the 30 thousands which were too low to proceed with the Gemzar infusions. He is still taking the Tarceva (oral daily chemo). At this point he will continue to see his Oncologist on Tuesdays and we all need to hope that his platelet counts rise to more acceptable levels so he can resume treatment. He is feeling weak and tired and what he needs is lots of rest to let his body heal.

Jack III

Not quite standing on his head....

Turns out that the first night after dad gets an infusion of Gemzar one of the main side effects are severe chills and flu like symptoms. They seem to have mellowed out this morning but he spent most of the evening with night sweats and a fever. This apparently happened last week too so while the head stands may be out for now, he is standing, and not alone. We love you.

Jack III

7 down, 53 to go..............

Dad had his second infusion today of Gemzar. The dosage was lowered by 25% as his platelet count has dropped in the 60 thousands but all in all the news is good. It turns out that the effects of the treatment are NOT cumulative which means that the side effects he is experiencing should not get worse. To date, the worse has been fatigue and an acne like rash on his head, neck, and upper body which he has been given additional prescriptions to manage. The others are nausea, chills, cotton mouth, and "decreased" appetite. The later will not do him any harm ;) and he says that if this is as bad as it gets, then he can do it standing on his head.

The other good news is that he is pain free with the treatment and his oncologist said that this may be evidence that the treatment is helping as the pain medication dosages are not large enough to alleviate all his pain.

All in all, dad is feeling optimistic and in good hands and that is very good.

Jack III