A few things of happened since my last post. On the fifth round of FOLFOX I a-fib again. I went to the hospital and had several EKGs done. I was given a heart monitoring system that I had to wear for the next four weeks. My oncologist team decided that I was having too many issues and canceled FOLFOX round six. Initially I was told I would be given a six-week break from chemotherapy. I saw the oncologist three weeks after my fifth round of FOLFOX and he decided to start me on Xeloda immediately. It is a pill regiment and I have to take four pills every morning and four pills every night on top of the several other pills that I'm taking already. Xeloda makes me tired and sometimes a little queasy. I also get a tingling in my hands and feet but at least I have not a-fibed again. While wearing the heart monitor I did not have another reoccurrence. I am still not working but I have good news. I have gained back 17 pounds since surgery. I have a few pictures that I would like to post but my computer crashed. Once I get a new computer, I will be able to post some more current pictures.
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So I want to post the troubles first and the good news below. I did okay with FOLFOX round 3 and pressed on but round 4 went to FOLFOX. Monday, June 2nd, I started round 4 of FOLFOX. Wednesday, June 5th, at 7:25am I passed out while washing my hands. I hit the floor hard and my son Joey was on the phone with 911 when I came to. Sharette was panicky and scared as she tried to get me to respond. According to Sharette, I woke up about 3 to 4 minutes after I hit the floor. Paramedics confirmed my heart went into atrial fibrillation causing me to pass out and I was ambulanced to the VA ER. My heart rate was 130-185 and it took 10 hours for them to get my heart into a normal rhythm. I stayed overnight in the hospital. I banged my knee on the fall so bad I couldn't walk without help for a few days. I even hit a 101 fever that night. It was normal by mid day the next day. As if I don't take enough pills, I am on more pills for my heart. They want me to keep pushing through chemo and that is what I am going to try and do as round 5 starts tomorrow. I hope this latest pill and my over hydration plan keeps the atrial fibrillation away. I will be worried going into round 5. As a matter of fact, I am pretty scared but need to keep fighting through it if I can handle it. Because of my current medical condition, I am no longer allowed to work. NOW ON THE PLUS SIDE: I have gained 9 pounds in the last 3 months. Today is Fathers Day and I feel pretty good. After church, I went for a 3 mile walk along the Boise River with Sharette and the boys. We spent an hour walking, talking and taking pictures. I gambled on my stomach by eating a 5 Guys cheeseburger but so far so good. We all went to the YMCA after lunch where I did the second workout through my live strong workout plan and kicked butt (for me). I know I am a lot thinner and weaker that I was several months ago but working out now will make the chemo and post chemo recovery easier. Now time to figure out if I will float the Boise River during my chemo break in July. Time will tell but I want to do something like that before summer is over. On the 9th of April, I went in for surgery to have my port installed under the skin of my upper left chest. It looks like half a golf ball and has been tunneled into a couple veins/arteries. I am told it is in my jugular too. Anyway, it needed to be installed to administer the FOLFOX Chemotherapy. The surgery went well and I was back home and eating that afternoon. On the 21st of April I started Chemotherapy. The first round of chemo was really difficult for me. I had to be infused about 10 in the morning for about 3 hours and then left with a chemo ball attached until Wednesday around two in the afternoon. They hook it to the port in my chest (photo attached) and I took the chemo ball home and wore it in a hip pack for about 50 hours. I had a headache, trouble breathing, sore throat, chest pressure, anxiety and several other issues. I was so wiped out Wednesday after they unhook it that I ended up in the ER. They did an EKG on my heart. They did a CT scan for my lungs for blood clots. It turned out it was mostly anxiety from the steroids and the chemo. I didn't eat hardly anything Wednesday and Thursday I was still struggling with eating. I don't like it but if it will give me a few extra years I got to do it for my family. All I can tell you is this chemo treatment is going to be hard. Saturday I had a full muscle lockup in my neck and my feet started tingling. Sunday I felt better. 5 more days and I do it all over again and 11 more cycles to go if I can take it. I am trying. I have a better plan for eating during the next infusion as I lost 3 pounds this past week and I don't want that each treatment. It's hard but I am going to try my best. On Monday I grouted the backsplash in my master bath, walked with my wife at Wal-Mart and Lowes without riding the scooters, did some light weightlifting, and power walked around the block twice. I still have pain in several places but it was light enough to get a good day in. Yesterday was good too. I really have to enjoy the days I feel well because I know the next treatment is just around the corner. I love the good moments and time with Sharette and the boys. The boys are walking with me around the block and Sharette and I took in a movie and are heading out on a date tomorrow night. Thank you everyone for the support and encouragement. I am fighting everyday! Today is 3 weeks post op for Jeremy. He has been home a little over a week. He is eating regularly and trying to consume 3,000 and up to 5,000 calories a day to gain back the 35 pounds he lost over the past three months.
He is finding it difficult to eat more than 3,000 calories when he can’t have a lot of fat or sugar. He is managing to get to 3,000 most days and has gained ¾ of a pound in one week. He would like to gain more but we will take it. He is moving around more but still needs help making his food as he gets tired if he is standing up and moving around too long. Every day, he seems to get just a bit better but it is going slow but steady. With the finding of the more aggressive adenocarcinoma in the lymph nodes that were removed, Jeremy will undergo more chemotherapy. Next Wednesday, he is having a port surgically installed in his chest and then the Oncologist here will start him on FOLFOX chemotherapy treatment the week after that. He will have 3-6 months of chemotherapy and then be reevaluated. He is not looking forward to the next several months but knows it must be done to give him a fighting chance. Both doctors have told him that this is not a cure but a quality of life procedure. That is a nice way of saying, there is no telling when it will rear its ugly head again one day but Jeremy plans on enjoying each day as he gets it and will do this and any other needed treatment to be around for his family as long as he can. Jeremy has decided to share the picture of his incision so you can have an idea of how much had to be done. He was told they removed about 1/3rd of a gallon size jug of tumors and disease. A few people tried to call Jeremy several days after his surgery but he was too exhausted to take calls. He apologizes and will call you back soon. It turned out that the Intra belly chemo gave him a resting heart rate of 106 so talking could get his heart rate up to 140 and he would about pass out. Jeremy had a very rough trip flying back to Idaho. Wheel chairs were needed at all points. When he got to Denver, the attendant with a wheel chair was there and took him to his gate and with still a 2 hour layover he wanted to take the wheel chair away from Jeremy. Jeremy pleaded to keep it so Sharette could move him to places like lunch or the bathroom. After a managment discussion, he left the chair with them. Jeremy has a United club pass and had Sharette take him there. One lady at the club front desk would not allow Jeremy in with Sharette as his medical attendant since Sharette didn't have her own pass. Jeremy was forced out and had to get out of the wheel chair and lay on the floor while moaning until he could get the gas to pass through his stomach. Their flight to Idaho was delayed an hour and by then Jeremy was exhausted. He has almost no memory of the drive to his house and went straight to bed. He is doing much better after being home 1.5 days but still tires quickly. A 5 minute sit down warm shower put him into a 30 minute full body sweat. He sweats through the night having to changing his shirts about every two hours. The good part is his appetite is improving so he is hoping to start to gain weight again. He is 163.5 and ready to get a lot of it back. Although most of his disease was low, some came back more aggressive and he will start FloFox or Oral Chemo in just a few weeks. He is optimistic that this next treatment will squash what few cancer cells remain so he can get back to a normal life. After a roller coaster of a night in our hotel room, we met with Holly this morning. Jeremy's vitals were checked as well as his 12 inch incision. It is looking good and healing well. We discussed how his meds were working out, immunizations due to the removal of his spleen, nutrition due to the removal of his gall bladder, and any suggested vitamin supplements. We also received the pathology report and Dr. Loggie's surgery notes.
One of the three lymph nodes that was removed was found to have more aggressive cancer cells compared to everything else which was still found to be low-grade. Therefore, Dr. Loggie recommended Jeremy start chemo treatments in four to six weeks and to continue for six months. Once the chemo is complete, Jeremy will return to Omaha for another MRI and a follow up with Dr. Loggie and Holly. Prognosis is still the same...50-50 on 12 years. However, we are determined to prolong this by continuing to practice our faith, staying fit, eating healthy, and keeping a positive attitude. Still a lot of things to do in this life...personally and with family. Our tickets are confirmed and we should be back home to our boys tomorrow night. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Jeremy is doing good. He got the okay to be discharged to the local area today. We meet with Holly (Dr. Loggie's assistant) tomorrow to discuss everything...surgery, pathology, and future plans. At least tonight he won't be bothered by a nurse every couple hours.
News from Omaha.
Well things were progressing but he has had a setback. Unfortunately he began vomiting on and off yesterday around 5pm which of course is causing him more pain. We thought it was the pain meds, but an abdominal X-Ray showed different. His lower bowels are still not functioning properly. He is back to sips of water and ice chips as well as on the IV to make sure he is getting enough fluids. He also has an NG tube to pump out his stomach. Jeremy said it felt like someone was breaking his nose getting that tube down. Sadly, it took three tries. Doc said could take a couple more days before the bowels cooperate. So glad we are together. Jeremy is still progressing. Doctor put him on a clear liquid diet yesterday and finally was able to move some bowels by the afternoon. Saturday night was a little rough especially when he ran put of his pain meds and it took an hour to get it up from the pharmacy. This morning he tried a few bites of scrambled eggs and was able to keep it down. Of course his digestive system is rebelling because he hasn't had solid food in a week...so it is adding to the pain. Expected to be discharged today, but thankfully the doc decided to keep him another day. They are putting him on oral meds for the pain and anxiety. He will need to take every four hours to stay ahead of the pain. Praying for a good night. We find out tomorrow when we have an appointment to meet with Dr. Loggie and/or Holly.
We have had quite a few visitors in the last few days...some friends from Wichita, Kansas (Rick & Kathy Williams), supervisor from England and longtime friends (Mike and Sherry Bierl {Iowa}), and Jeremy's cousins (Phillip Hezeltine {lives in Omaha} and Buzz/Shelly Kitzhaber {Kansas}. He also had his support team before and after the surgery. Even though the moms have gone back home, their presence here was greatly appreciated. And many thanks to Jenn & family and Rich for keeping the boys healthy and in working order back home. :-) |
Jeremy & SharetteThey will be providing updates on Jeremy's treatment and prognosis whenever there is news to report. PArchivesy
January 2021
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