Upcoming appointment

I forgot to mention in my last post that we have an appointment on Monday morning to see the Radiation Oncologist again. (We originally saw him a week after Dave was diagnosed back in December. He said that Dave needed chemo first and then they'd add radiation halfway through chemo.) Last week the medical oncologist (chemo doctor) said we should still discuss radiation even though chemotherapy failed. The purpose would be to temporarily shrink the tumor to make it easier for Dave to swallow. (It's temporary, because the tumor will grow back as far as they're concerned, and I believe he told us in December that they can only radiate an area once.) Dave has no desire to go through radiation, mainly because they've told us it's not a cure, and  we believe it will likely do irreparable damage. The doctor we spoke with a week ago said that it would actually feel worse than it does right now at first as it will be inflammed for a while. We will meet with the doctor, but will definitely be discussing all of our options and side effects. I am trying to research what options are out there, so I'll know what questions to ask. Please pray for wisdom/direction in this next step to alleviate some of Dave's discomfort.

Dave has been having more discomfort and pain over the past two weeks. (He noticed that his swallowing, and the tumor in general, felt different a few days before the catscan 2 weeks ago.) Swallowing is becoming more difficult for him. He does have the feeding tube in still, which he hasn't used for over a month, but may become necessary again. (He could take carrot juice etc... through the tube directly, he just seems to be pretty stubborn about that right now.) The pain in his upper chest from the tumor has been steadily increasing this week. In general, mornings seem to be better for Dave, and by the evening he's whooped. He hasn't really been taking any pain meds for quite a while, but did take a Tylenol 3 last night

Today a friend came by before dinner with their dog to play with Brady in our yard. (Thanks James!) Brady & Beau had a blast. We have a big yard and Beau will chase balls thrown with a Chuck-it endlessly. Although Brady isn't a big fetcher, he does like to chase Beau! The best way to drain a dogs energy is to throw another dog in the mix! Brady has currently gone with another friend this evening. (Their little girl called and asked if Brady could go over for a sleepover with their dog Bear. Very cute!)

We had planned on going over to friends this evening to watch the Canada-Slovakia hockey game. Dave really wanted to go, as it's nice to get out, but then started to feel pretty bad as we were getting ready to leave. Although he can be fine for a while, he will get pain that comes and goes and it's just awkward. He's just more comfortable at home right now. 

 I know this post sounds a little depressing, but thought we'd let you know what's going on so people can pray effectively. Please pray for relief for Dave from this pain and discomfort. Also pray for direction on Monday with the Radiation Oncologist. We'd like to be referred back to the Thoracic surgeon again to see if there's a less invasive outpatient treatment that could be done in lieu of radiation, like laser therapy to open the esophagus up somewhat. Although it's hard to stay positive when he's in pain, we still believe there's hope! Although he's still really tired, most of the chemo side effects have faded. The neuropathy seems to have gone completely, as well as the mouth sores that were starting up. He has lost weight, but his skin looks really good, and his hands were really dry and a mess, but are looking much better this week.

A few times a week, the VON nurse comes in to check on Dave, and make sure his feeding tube site looks OK. (I unfortunately have to work every day, so I rarely see them.) Today he said there was a new male nurse from Turkey. He was obviously aware of Dave's cancer and commented that it was great to see how positive Dave was. They got talking, and Dave told him about the Raw Living Food diet, detoxing, & wheatgrass juice that he's started to fight the cancer and the nurse was very interested and wrote down a lot of stuff, including the name of where we went in Michigan. He ended up staying and talking for over an hour and said that although Western Medicine is great, there is a lot to be said about the food we eat. He said back home they only eat fresh food - little packaged food is available. You go to the market buy your fresh fruits & vegetables, and many homes don't have fridges, so they have to buy fresh food every day or two. He said the extent of our illnesses are unheard of back home. He told Dave that he was amazed how positive he was and his ability to make people around him feel positive. Anyway they had a really good talk that seemed beneficial for both of them!

I apologize again if this post seems a little depressing at first, but we are trusting in God and are not panicking.

Dave hopes he feels well enough to hang out with friends on Sunday afternoon to watch the gold medal hockey game. (Like I said, he feels best in the morning, and worse in the evening, so hopefully the afternoon isn't too bad.)

Have a good weekend!

Val