Post by Valerie:
Today is Dad's birthday. Yesterday he was admitted into Roberts Hospital, which is a part of Baylor University Medical Center. It is located next door to the Cancer Center. His room area is with several other cancer patients who have undergone the STC treatment. The admission was due to a variety of reasons: low blood pressure, low blood counts, and difficulty holding food and liquids.
Tim, Paula, and I are here with him today as we honor him on his 58th birthday :-) He's looking well today and is happy to have visitors!! His white blood cell count is still really low and he is receiving Neupogen injections to continue to boost those. He received platelets today also. Dad says he is feeling better and is able to hold food down which gives him some more energy. He is running a fever today so keep him in your prayers today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!! Stay strong!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
LWP and Harrison
Post by Val and Tim:
This has been a big week for our family!! Dad's STC occured on Monday and Tuesday. For the rest of the week he went in to the clinic everyday for monitoring, hydration, and tests. They are watching counts for white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The white blood cell count drops significantly with the chemo treatment and that is what we want. The other two have to be watched closely and if there is a drop too low then they are prepared for blood transfusions.
Each day, the numbers were doing what they are expected to do. The primary difficulties for Dad have been nausea and vomiting. He has been given a variety of medications to help with that but it is part of the process that sometimes just can't be avoided. Dad takes several antibiotics to prevent any type of infection, as that would be a big threat we do not want to face.
The past few days have been difficult for him. Tomorrow he will be going through his first transfusion and we are hoping that he will start to feel better afterwards!!!
Yesterday was the birth of Dad's first grandchild! Harrison Riley Payne was born in Waco, TX at 3:03pm. Tim and Kim are ecstatic and Harrison is such a sweet baby. He is so content experiencing the world and the love of his family. Dad and Paula were able to follow the birth events through the blessing of technology. Texts, phone calls, and video were exchanged. Of course we knew the possibility of Harrison's arrival and Dad's treatment would likely come at the same time so we were prepared for how to keep them as informed as the situation would allow!!!!
Welcome to the world, Harrison:
Dad, we love you!!!!!
This has been a big week for our family!! Dad's STC occured on Monday and Tuesday. For the rest of the week he went in to the clinic everyday for monitoring, hydration, and tests. They are watching counts for white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The white blood cell count drops significantly with the chemo treatment and that is what we want. The other two have to be watched closely and if there is a drop too low then they are prepared for blood transfusions.
Each day, the numbers were doing what they are expected to do. The primary difficulties for Dad have been nausea and vomiting. He has been given a variety of medications to help with that but it is part of the process that sometimes just can't be avoided. Dad takes several antibiotics to prevent any type of infection, as that would be a big threat we do not want to face.
The past few days have been difficult for him. Tomorrow he will be going through his first transfusion and we are hoping that he will start to feel better afterwards!!!
Yesterday was the birth of Dad's first grandchild! Harrison Riley Payne was born in Waco, TX at 3:03pm. Tim and Kim are ecstatic and Harrison is such a sweet baby. He is so content experiencing the world and the love of his family. Dad and Paula were able to follow the birth events through the blessing of technology. Texts, phone calls, and video were exchanged. Of course we knew the possibility of Harrison's arrival and Dad's treatment would likely come at the same time so we were prepared for how to keep them as informed as the situation would allow!!!!
Welcome to the world, Harrison:
Dad, we love you!!!!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Positive Progress
Post by Tim:
I had the opportunity to get away for a few hours and head up to Dallas to visit Dad yesterday. I couldn't have enjoyed the visit more, and it was somewhat of a relief for me since I can't get up there as much as I'd like to.
He received the transplant on Monday morning and Tuesday morning, and the chemo from the weekend has had a chance to catch up to him and start taking effect. Even though he's seeing the expected side effects - nausea, unable to eat, low blood counts, etc - I was pleasantly surprised at his alertness and condition. He was actually able to chat for a while and eat a little bit while I was there, and had a real positive attitude about everything. Based on what I've heard and read (and even based on talking to him the previous day), I really didn't expect to be able to get much out of him... especially considering what he's been through and the amount of medication he's on (probably has enough stock to start up a small pharmacy). I know we're not done yet and maybe haven't even hit the lowest blood counts yet - but I'd definitely say he's doing as well as could be expected.
Hoping that things continue to progress the way they are and should. If all goes well, hopefully he'll get to see his grandson right after he's born via the technology they call the "skype", or however you spell it - and then meet him sooner than later.
Aside from that, his schedule now is daily monitoring and IV fluids at least until the end of the month. Thanks everyone for the messages, e-mails, phone calls, facebooks, and any other form of communication that you may have used. Dad really appreciates it - and so do we. Please continue to pray for recovery and a good end result, and know that we all feel blessed and grateful for the support we're getting. We will continue to keep you posted.
I had the opportunity to get away for a few hours and head up to Dallas to visit Dad yesterday. I couldn't have enjoyed the visit more, and it was somewhat of a relief for me since I can't get up there as much as I'd like to.
He received the transplant on Monday morning and Tuesday morning, and the chemo from the weekend has had a chance to catch up to him and start taking effect. Even though he's seeing the expected side effects - nausea, unable to eat, low blood counts, etc - I was pleasantly surprised at his alertness and condition. He was actually able to chat for a while and eat a little bit while I was there, and had a real positive attitude about everything. Based on what I've heard and read (and even based on talking to him the previous day), I really didn't expect to be able to get much out of him... especially considering what he's been through and the amount of medication he's on (probably has enough stock to start up a small pharmacy). I know we're not done yet and maybe haven't even hit the lowest blood counts yet - but I'd definitely say he's doing as well as could be expected.
Hoping that things continue to progress the way they are and should. If all goes well, hopefully he'll get to see his grandson right after he's born via the technology they call the "skype", or however you spell it - and then meet him sooner than later.
Aside from that, his schedule now is daily monitoring and IV fluids at least until the end of the month. Thanks everyone for the messages, e-mails, phone calls, facebooks, and any other form of communication that you may have used. Dad really appreciates it - and so do we. Please continue to pray for recovery and a good end result, and know that we all feel blessed and grateful for the support we're getting. We will continue to keep you posted.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Collection complete
Post by Tim:
Dad's collection process is complete as of today - they just hit the target number on the last day. He didn't get a break like we were hoping, but it's done. He's feeling pretty good - the collection part hasn't been too bad, just tiring. Tomorrow is a big day - he will be getting high-dose melphalan (chemo) for a good part of the day that will kill as many cancer cells as possible (that will also unfortunately kill healthy blood cells as well). In the meantime they're freezing the stem cells collected and will start putting them back in on Monday - which is the official transplant day, or day 0 as they call it. Some people call it a "re-birthday". The following weeks he'll have daily monitoring, IV's and transfusions as needed. More info to come this weekend or next week. As always, we all appreciate the thoughts and prayers you've been sending this way.
Dad's collection process is complete as of today - they just hit the target number on the last day. He didn't get a break like we were hoping, but it's done. He's feeling pretty good - the collection part hasn't been too bad, just tiring. Tomorrow is a big day - he will be getting high-dose melphalan (chemo) for a good part of the day that will kill as many cancer cells as possible (that will also unfortunately kill healthy blood cells as well). In the meantime they're freezing the stem cells collected and will start putting them back in on Monday - which is the official transplant day, or day 0 as they call it. Some people call it a "re-birthday". The following weeks he'll have daily monitoring, IV's and transfusions as needed. More info to come this weekend or next week. As always, we all appreciate the thoughts and prayers you've been sending this way.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Week Two - Tuesday
Post by Valerie:
DAY SIX - On Monday, Dad had his first "collection" day. This process is called Apheresis and is similar to dialysis. For the last 5 days he had been receiving the Neupogen injections to stimulate production of new stem cells. Today, he was connected to a machine that removes blood and selectively collects the stem cells. Once the stem cells are collected, the blood is returned to him. His pheresis session took 5 hours. He was then allowed to go back to the apartment to rest and got a phone call in the evening of the results. The nurse indicated to him that they had only been able to collect 15% of what they needed from his blood. This was much less than what they look for. Typically they expect to get everything they need in 1-2 sessions. Hopes for a better tomorrow!!!
DAY SEVEN - Today, the second pheresis session continued as planned. This one also took 5 hours. Dad said that all of the patients undergoing the Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) are scheduled for these sessions together. The same group of people came in hooked up to their machines, all hoping for the best (primarily hoping it's the last day). That was an interesting component, I thought. Following the collection, he received a phone call indicating only a 10% collection of what they needed for the day. His total is now at 25%. They now will make a modification to his course by giving him a different type of injection tomorrow to boost the production of his stem cells even more. This is called Mozobil. The side effects are more severe but it's necessary to obtain the optimal number of stem cells to support rapid bone marrow recovery and blood cell production with the SCT. Tomorrow he will continue the pheresis and get the Mozobil boost injections. More hoping for better results!!!
One week is down. The schedule includes the big bout of chemo this weekend and the transplant day being Monday. We ask again that you send prayers and well wishes this way. Every bit of support helps as we move along.
DAY SIX - On Monday, Dad had his first "collection" day. This process is called Apheresis and is similar to dialysis. For the last 5 days he had been receiving the Neupogen injections to stimulate production of new stem cells. Today, he was connected to a machine that removes blood and selectively collects the stem cells. Once the stem cells are collected, the blood is returned to him. His pheresis session took 5 hours. He was then allowed to go back to the apartment to rest and got a phone call in the evening of the results. The nurse indicated to him that they had only been able to collect 15% of what they needed from his blood. This was much less than what they look for. Typically they expect to get everything they need in 1-2 sessions. Hopes for a better tomorrow!!!
DAY SEVEN - Today, the second pheresis session continued as planned. This one also took 5 hours. Dad said that all of the patients undergoing the Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) are scheduled for these sessions together. The same group of people came in hooked up to their machines, all hoping for the best (primarily hoping it's the last day). That was an interesting component, I thought. Following the collection, he received a phone call indicating only a 10% collection of what they needed for the day. His total is now at 25%. They now will make a modification to his course by giving him a different type of injection tomorrow to boost the production of his stem cells even more. This is called Mozobil. The side effects are more severe but it's necessary to obtain the optimal number of stem cells to support rapid bone marrow recovery and blood cell production with the SCT. Tomorrow he will continue the pheresis and get the Mozobil boost injections. More hoping for better results!!!
One week is down. The schedule includes the big bout of chemo this weekend and the transplant day being Monday. We ask again that you send prayers and well wishes this way. Every bit of support helps as we move along.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Week One
Post by Valerie:
Dad arrived in Dallas and began his first week here on Wednesday.
DAY ONE - With day one, he had a NeoStar Triple Numen central line surgically placed in his right shoulder area. His blood was thinner than normal from a variety of influencing factors. That caused some excessive bleeding. Late that evening he was allowed to leave as an outpatient and checked into the apartment that is being provided. It is a small efficiency apartment located a few blocks from the Baylor Cancer Center.
DAY TWO - Dad began to get his first Neupogen injections. This will help boost the production of white blood cells. On this day, he and Paula also attended an informational class that went through plan, schedule, and expectations. They also headed to the grocery store to stock up on food and supplies needed to live here for a few weeks. At the end of the day, Dad said he was pretty worn out.
DAY THREE - The second set of Neupogen injections were given in the morning. Kaylee and I left Waco to head north. We stopped in West for kolaches and breakfast with MawMaw and the Friday morning coffee group. The drive here was quick and painless. We arrived before lunch and were able to have a full day of family time. Since Dad had already finished his appointment for the day we had some freedom. We were able to go out for lunch, a movie, and some shopping.
DAY FOUR AND FIVE - Dad went in for his Neupogen injections. Since it was the weekend, the place was quiet and mostly empty. We were in and out fairly quick. After the appointments, we took advantage of free time again while we had it.
This coming week is reserved for collection of blood and stem cells. Monday, Dad goes in at 7 a.m. and they will begin collecting through the shunt he had implanted on Wednesday. Depending on the success, the collection could take anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 days. If they can collect enough on the first day, Dad will have a 4 day break until Friday. Next weekend he will begin the most trying part of the process. More to follow this week.
Here are some pictures of the journey, thus far:
Dad arrived in Dallas and began his first week here on Wednesday.
DAY ONE - With day one, he had a NeoStar Triple Numen central line surgically placed in his right shoulder area. His blood was thinner than normal from a variety of influencing factors. That caused some excessive bleeding. Late that evening he was allowed to leave as an outpatient and checked into the apartment that is being provided. It is a small efficiency apartment located a few blocks from the Baylor Cancer Center.
DAY TWO - Dad began to get his first Neupogen injections. This will help boost the production of white blood cells. On this day, he and Paula also attended an informational class that went through plan, schedule, and expectations. They also headed to the grocery store to stock up on food and supplies needed to live here for a few weeks. At the end of the day, Dad said he was pretty worn out.
DAY THREE - The second set of Neupogen injections were given in the morning. Kaylee and I left Waco to head north. We stopped in West for kolaches and breakfast with MawMaw and the Friday morning coffee group. The drive here was quick and painless. We arrived before lunch and were able to have a full day of family time. Since Dad had already finished his appointment for the day we had some freedom. We were able to go out for lunch, a movie, and some shopping.
DAY FOUR AND FIVE - Dad went in for his Neupogen injections. Since it was the weekend, the place was quiet and mostly empty. We were in and out fairly quick. After the appointments, we took advantage of free time again while we had it.
This coming week is reserved for collection of blood and stem cells. Monday, Dad goes in at 7 a.m. and they will begin collecting through the shunt he had implanted on Wednesday. Depending on the success, the collection could take anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 days. If they can collect enough on the first day, Dad will have a 4 day break until Friday. Next weekend he will begin the most trying part of the process. More to follow this week.
Here are some pictures of the journey, thus far:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)