OHSU called today and changed Curt's MRI and meeting with Dr. Chui from Monday, July 20, to Monday, July 27.
Curt is still doing well after his treatments. We stopped at Costco on our way home on Monday, and he walked around there and had some ice cream. Tuesday he did not do much before his shot at the Corvallis Clinic that afternoon. Wednesday we did quite a bit of shopping. We shopped around some in Corvallis the morning, and he had to rest before eating lunch at home. In the afternoon we went to Albany and shopped. This morning he planted some of the plants he bought yesterday and is now resting after lunch. He said his stomach does not bother him as much this time, but he still gets the hiccups quite a bit. He is talking about going to an outdoor concert in Albany tonight.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Third Chemo Treatment and Good News
Last week was great at Eagle Crest with Angie, Maddie and Vega too (Jef was there on the weekend before we came, but had to work during the week). The weather was almost too hot, but we were able to do lots of things (swimming every day and some tennis, golf, hiking, bike riding, many games of Uno, etc.). Curt had to watch it swimming, because he forgot to bring goggles. He can't close his left eye, and he got water in it the first day. It really bothered him for awhile.
Today Curt saw Dr. Chui. He thought Curt looked much better. Curt was quite relaxed and slouching on his chair. Dr. Chui said the last time he saw Curt, he looked like he was in pain. No pain now! Dr. Chui was also impressed with Curt's activites and thinks the chemo is working. He wants to prove the tumor is shrinking by doing another MRI in 2 weeks (July 20). We were only at OHSU from 9 AM to 2 PM today. Curt weighed about 158 lbs. when he checked in and weighed about 164 lbs. when we got home. The last couple times he gained about 7 or 8 lbs. after each treatment. It takes a day or so for his weight to go back down. They pump in lots of liquids! The nurse had a little trouble opening his Port and took his blood in his arm first. However, the Port finally did open for the IV's. Tomorrow Curt will go to the Corvallis Clinic for his followup shot.
Curt can postpone the treatment in 3 weeks at the end of July, so he will feel better for our trip to Colorado on August 2-9 with our family and my brothers' family. His next chemo treatment is scheduled for August 17 and his last treatment is now scheduled for September 28.
Today Curt saw Dr. Chui. He thought Curt looked much better. Curt was quite relaxed and slouching on his chair. Dr. Chui said the last time he saw Curt, he looked like he was in pain. No pain now! Dr. Chui was also impressed with Curt's activites and thinks the chemo is working. He wants to prove the tumor is shrinking by doing another MRI in 2 weeks (July 20). We were only at OHSU from 9 AM to 2 PM today. Curt weighed about 158 lbs. when he checked in and weighed about 164 lbs. when we got home. The last couple times he gained about 7 or 8 lbs. after each treatment. It takes a day or so for his weight to go back down. They pump in lots of liquids! The nurse had a little trouble opening his Port and took his blood in his arm first. However, the Port finally did open for the IV's. Tomorrow Curt will go to the Corvallis Clinic for his followup shot.
Curt can postpone the treatment in 3 weeks at the end of July, so he will feel better for our trip to Colorado on August 2-9 with our family and my brothers' family. His next chemo treatment is scheduled for August 17 and his last treatment is now scheduled for September 28.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Chemo Treatment 2
Everything went well for the second treatment. Curt first saw the Nurse Practioner who was very impressed with his progress. She gave him a brief examination and talked with us. She couldn't believe he had been playing tennis, softball, and golf. She said the chemo must be working for him to feel like this and no longer have pain. She also thought his eye (not as protruding) and general appearance looked better. She ordered an MRI for him to have on June 27 before he sees Dr. Chui on July 6 and has his third treatment. The nurse who prepared him for his treatment couldn't believe how good his Port looked. She wondered who did it. Curt had a nice corner chair with windows looking both East and South. It was too cloudy to see the mountains. I enjoyed watching some work on a nearby skyscraper that was being built. Curt saw the Nurse Practioner after 10:30 and went into the chemo about 11:30. They first have to draw blood to see if everything is okay and start a "plain" IV. The blood results were very good. Then they start the 2 chemo bags. They take 1 hour each. We ate our lunch while all this is going on. He was done about 3 PM. He said he felt a little "drunk" afterwards. His main side effects seem to be hiccups (for about a week) and fatigue. We went back to Angie's and Curt rested. We had a "take out" supper. Jef had to work late. Curt, Maddie, Vega and I went to Angie's softball game at 6:15. It sprinked a little during the game (they lost). We were home about 7:30. After the girls went to bed, we played some more bridge. Curt got a little tired about 10 and wanted to quit (I think it was because he and Jef had gained a lot of points on Angie and me).
Today we went out for breakfast and went to Costco and Target. Vega got a bigger bike (16 in.). We went to a park after that so the girls could ride their bikes (it is too hilly around Angie and Jef's). Curt rested again after lunch. We went back to OHSU at 3:15 for his followup injection and then stopped at the Woodburn Mall to do a little shopping. Curt got tired and went to the car before the last store. We had a little something to eat at Arby's nearby and made a couple more stops before getting home after 6:30. Curt is reading our mail and papers now.
So far, so good!
Today we went out for breakfast and went to Costco and Target. Vega got a bigger bike (16 in.). We went to a park after that so the girls could ride their bikes (it is too hilly around Angie and Jef's). Curt rested again after lunch. We went back to OHSU at 3:15 for his followup injection and then stopped at the Woodburn Mall to do a little shopping. Curt got tired and went to the car before the last store. We had a little something to eat at Arby's nearby and made a couple more stops before getting home after 6:30. Curt is reading our mail and papers now.
So far, so good!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Port Operation
Curt has been doing well since his first chemotherapy. He was almost back to doing everything as before. He has played tennis several times, but doesn't have as much stamina with singles. He has pitched 3 coed softball games (won 1 and lost 2), golfed 9 holes, worked in the yard, etc. He is most happy about not having any pain. He thinks he might have taken a couple Tylenol since his treatment. His eye also does not bother him as much.
We came to the Bakers in Lake Oswego on Tuesday afternoon. We enjoyed watching Maddie and Vega do their tap, ballet and gymnastic routines then. We walked Maddie to her last day of school on Wednesday and then went to the lower campus of OHSU for a class on chemotherapy from 10 to after 11:30. A Social Worker, Nurse Clinic coordinator, Dietitian, and AMC Patient Navigator spoke and gave us a notebook with lots of handouts. We ate lunch at a Thai Restaurant and did a little birthday shopping for Jef before going back to Bakers. Curt went for a walk with the girls later in the afternoon. We have been continuing our bridge marathon with Angie and Jef in the evenings. So far the women are ahead for the year.
This morning with had to be at OHSU's upper campus at 6 AM! We got to meet the surgeon, Dr. Billingsley, before he went into surgery at 8. Curt had heavy sedation and did well. There are 2 incisions. The bigger one is near his right bone below his neck. This is where the dome-shaped disk about the size of a dime or penny is that will be used as the "Port" for all blood work and chemo from now on. A special needle can be inserted in it almost indefinitely. There is a catheter that goes under his skin from there up about 3 inches to a large vein in his neck. That is where the smaller incision is. They insert this catheter into the vein and it goes down about 3 or 4 inches toward his heart. The doctor came to me in the waiting room to see me about 9 (the surgery takes about 35 minutes) and said it went well. I went back to the recovery room and we had to wait about an hour for a portable x-ray machine to come and x-ray that area to make sure it was okay. They would not give any liquids until they knew they would not have to do any more operating. Curt was pretty drowsy and it didn't seem to bother him. They only complaint he had was around the neck incision. The nurse said it is harder to numb that area. They gave him an ice pack to put on the area and an Oxycodone to help with any pain he might have. They also gave us one of the special needles to use as needed if we are someplace where they do not have the needles. We got back to Bakers before 11:30. Angie and the girls took off shortly after to go swimming (indoors - it has been a little cool, around highs of 70). They will be back after 1:30. Curt ate some cereal and is now resting. The hard part for him might be that he can't play any tennis or softball for about 10 days. They want those incisions to heal first.
Tomorrow we return to OHSU at 10:30 for the second chemo treatment. We hope to watch Angie's coed softball game that evening at a nearby Junior High School. Saturday afternoon Curt will have the followup shot and we can return to Corvallis.
We came to the Bakers in Lake Oswego on Tuesday afternoon. We enjoyed watching Maddie and Vega do their tap, ballet and gymnastic routines then. We walked Maddie to her last day of school on Wednesday and then went to the lower campus of OHSU for a class on chemotherapy from 10 to after 11:30. A Social Worker, Nurse Clinic coordinator, Dietitian, and AMC Patient Navigator spoke and gave us a notebook with lots of handouts. We ate lunch at a Thai Restaurant and did a little birthday shopping for Jef before going back to Bakers. Curt went for a walk with the girls later in the afternoon. We have been continuing our bridge marathon with Angie and Jef in the evenings. So far the women are ahead for the year.
This morning with had to be at OHSU's upper campus at 6 AM! We got to meet the surgeon, Dr. Billingsley, before he went into surgery at 8. Curt had heavy sedation and did well. There are 2 incisions. The bigger one is near his right bone below his neck. This is where the dome-shaped disk about the size of a dime or penny is that will be used as the "Port" for all blood work and chemo from now on. A special needle can be inserted in it almost indefinitely. There is a catheter that goes under his skin from there up about 3 inches to a large vein in his neck. That is where the smaller incision is. They insert this catheter into the vein and it goes down about 3 or 4 inches toward his heart. The doctor came to me in the waiting room to see me about 9 (the surgery takes about 35 minutes) and said it went well. I went back to the recovery room and we had to wait about an hour for a portable x-ray machine to come and x-ray that area to make sure it was okay. They would not give any liquids until they knew they would not have to do any more operating. Curt was pretty drowsy and it didn't seem to bother him. They only complaint he had was around the neck incision. The nurse said it is harder to numb that area. They gave him an ice pack to put on the area and an Oxycodone to help with any pain he might have. They also gave us one of the special needles to use as needed if we are someplace where they do not have the needles. We got back to Bakers before 11:30. Angie and the girls took off shortly after to go swimming (indoors - it has been a little cool, around highs of 70). They will be back after 1:30. Curt ate some cereal and is now resting. The hard part for him might be that he can't play any tennis or softball for about 10 days. They want those incisions to heal first.
Tomorrow we return to OHSU at 10:30 for the second chemo treatment. We hope to watch Angie's coed softball game that evening at a nearby Junior High School. Saturday afternoon Curt will have the followup shot and we can return to Corvallis.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Followup
Curt has been doing pretty well since his treatment last Friday. At 1:30 PM on Saturday we returned to the upper campus of OHSU for his Neupogen-type shot to start rebuilding his white blood cells. The nurse recommended he stay away from crowds for at least a week (she gave him some masks to wear sometimes, but he hasn't used them yet). It was interesting that his weight was up about 8 lbs.!. Since then, it has returned to about 159 lbs. We did stop at Costco in Albany on the way home for some shopping and ice cream. He napped for about 1 1/2 hours when we got home and watched TV that night. He was happy that he had little, if any, pain and was able to read a book during the treatment and not have his eye bother him. It has continued that way so far.
So Curt did not go to church on Sunday (crowd). He fertilized his flowers, etc., outside in the morning, listened to a book on CD, napped, mowed the grass, and watched some TV. Monday we went to a friend's house from about 10 AM to 5 PM. We took about an hour walk (the weather has been great since we returned), ate and visited. Later that evening we went to the tennis club and hit some tennis balls for about 45 min. No naps this day.
Tuesday morning Curt played some singles tennis, but did not complete a set. He said his legs seemed rubbery. He cancelled his dentist appointment for that day because of the possiblity of infection (he takes his temperature every day). I drove him around for several errands in the afternoon. He had finished his followup anti-nausea pills the previous day and his stomach starting feeling a little queasy. He took a backup anti-nausea pill in the afternoon. They had him get 3 different anti-nausea prescriptions to use if necessary. He feels better if he eats or drinks a little. Tuesday night our neighbors had us over for some Gluten Free cake.
I worked at the Thrift Shop this morning. Curt said he did not sleep well last night (too many trips to the bathroom). He listened to a book and napped a little. He went to the store on his own this afternoon to return something and is napping again. There is a makeup coed softball game Friday night at 8:40 PM and another game this Sunday. He wants to go to those and might play. I think he might go to church Sunday too.
So Curt did not go to church on Sunday (crowd). He fertilized his flowers, etc., outside in the morning, listened to a book on CD, napped, mowed the grass, and watched some TV. Monday we went to a friend's house from about 10 AM to 5 PM. We took about an hour walk (the weather has been great since we returned), ate and visited. Later that evening we went to the tennis club and hit some tennis balls for about 45 min. No naps this day.
Tuesday morning Curt played some singles tennis, but did not complete a set. He said his legs seemed rubbery. He cancelled his dentist appointment for that day because of the possiblity of infection (he takes his temperature every day). I drove him around for several errands in the afternoon. He had finished his followup anti-nausea pills the previous day and his stomach starting feeling a little queasy. He took a backup anti-nausea pill in the afternoon. They had him get 3 different anti-nausea prescriptions to use if necessary. He feels better if he eats or drinks a little. Tuesday night our neighbors had us over for some Gluten Free cake.
I worked at the Thrift Shop this morning. Curt said he did not sleep well last night (too many trips to the bathroom). He listened to a book and napped a little. He went to the store on his own this afternoon to return something and is napping again. There is a makeup coed softball game Friday night at 8:40 PM and another game this Sunday. He wants to go to those and might play. I think he might go to church Sunday too.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Chemotherapy
We had a nice visit in Illinois from May 5 to 20. We started by celebrating Beth's 40th birthday and watched lots of baseball and soccer. The weather was cool a lot of the time (the wind made it extra cold). Some games were rained out. We also went to a Boy Scout Olympics, helped the boys with their school work, and Curt launched 2 rockets into orbit (we assume they are in orbit because we could not find them). We were able to see both of Curt's brothers, his aunt and uncle, Jason's parents, and Curt's former baseball catcher from 5th through 12th grades. When we left, Beth's kitchen was gutted. They hope to have the new one done in about 3 weeks.
We got home about 10:30 on Wednesday night (20th) and came back to Angie's Thursday evening. Curt went to OHSU at 8 this morning. He first saw a Nurse Practioner who checked him over (he weighed 158.3 lbs.!) and talked about the treatments. She also mentioned we might work with a Palliative Care Team later. I think they are concerned about the tumor being so close to the carotid artery. They hope these treatments will cause the tumor to shrink in this area (as well as other areas). He will see Dr. Chui on July 6 to check it out. After seeing the Nurse Practioner, we waited back in the waiting room before going to one of the 22 stations they have for treatments. We had a nice view of Mt. St. Helens from the 7th floor of the lower campus building. Curt had a nurse there who put in the IV, hydrated him for awhile, gave him a steroid and another anti-nausea pill, and finally started the first drug (Taxotere) about 11 AM. After an hour she gave him the second drug (Platinol) for an hour. It took about 45 minutes to finish his last hydration. We were out of there before 2. Curt read a book and rested during the treatment. The Pharmacist came to tell about more anti-nausea pills to take. They would prefer he not take so much Excedrin and try some Tylenol instead. He hasn't taken any of those all day. On our way back to Angie's, we stopped to get a few groceries. We got back before 3 and Curt has been sleeping since then (about 1 1/2 hours). Tomorrow at 1:30 we return to the upper campus of OHSU so Curt can get a shot of Neupogen that will help to rebuild the white blood cells that were killed by his drug treatment. He can do whatever he feels like and needs to drink a lot to flush out the chemicals.
On June 9 we will return to Lake Oswego to watch Maddie and Vega's dance and gymnastic "recital". On June 10 we will attend a class from 10 to 11:30 at OHSU about chemotherapy. On June 11 he will have a "Port" surgically implanted in his upper chest for future blood tests and treatments. His next treatment will be on June 12 (provided the blood tests are okay at that time).
So far, so good. The next few days will tell more about how he tolerated everything.
We got home about 10:30 on Wednesday night (20th) and came back to Angie's Thursday evening. Curt went to OHSU at 8 this morning. He first saw a Nurse Practioner who checked him over (he weighed 158.3 lbs.!) and talked about the treatments. She also mentioned we might work with a Palliative Care Team later. I think they are concerned about the tumor being so close to the carotid artery. They hope these treatments will cause the tumor to shrink in this area (as well as other areas). He will see Dr. Chui on July 6 to check it out. After seeing the Nurse Practioner, we waited back in the waiting room before going to one of the 22 stations they have for treatments. We had a nice view of Mt. St. Helens from the 7th floor of the lower campus building. Curt had a nurse there who put in the IV, hydrated him for awhile, gave him a steroid and another anti-nausea pill, and finally started the first drug (Taxotere) about 11 AM. After an hour she gave him the second drug (Platinol) for an hour. It took about 45 minutes to finish his last hydration. We were out of there before 2. Curt read a book and rested during the treatment. The Pharmacist came to tell about more anti-nausea pills to take. They would prefer he not take so much Excedrin and try some Tylenol instead. He hasn't taken any of those all day. On our way back to Angie's, we stopped to get a few groceries. We got back before 3 and Curt has been sleeping since then (about 1 1/2 hours). Tomorrow at 1:30 we return to the upper campus of OHSU so Curt can get a shot of Neupogen that will help to rebuild the white blood cells that were killed by his drug treatment. He can do whatever he feels like and needs to drink a lot to flush out the chemicals.
On June 9 we will return to Lake Oswego to watch Maddie and Vega's dance and gymnastic "recital". On June 10 we will attend a class from 10 to 11:30 at OHSU about chemotherapy. On June 11 he will have a "Port" surgically implanted in his upper chest for future blood tests and treatments. His next treatment will be on June 12 (provided the blood tests are okay at that time).
So far, so good. The next few days will tell more about how he tolerated everything.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Bad News
Today we spent 2 1/2 hours at OHSU. We first talked to a "Fellow Doctor" of Dr. Chui's. He said there was a significant change in the tumor from last November. It is growing down around Curt's carotid artery and up towards his brain. If it continued to grow unchecked into the brain, Curt could have symptoms of meningitis (stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, etc.). Growing around the carotid artery could lead to serious bleeding. They said we could go to Illinois, but if he has any of these symptoms, he might have to go to emergency and we should to return to Oregon as soon as possible. They said he would probably feel more pain now, if they hadn't removed so many nerves during his operations. To be safe, Dr. Chui gave Curt a prescription for more oxcodone. The "good news" is that they think there is more than a 50% chance they can shrink the tumor with strong doses of chemotherapy. However, they cannot get rid of the tumor completely. They want to get started as soon as we return from Illinois (he will start on Friday, May 22). They will use 2 drugs (Cisplatin and Taxotere) one day every 3 weeks for a total of 6 treatments (depending on how things go). After the first treatment through a vein in his arm, he will have a port inserted in his chest for further treatments and blood draws. The veins in the arms are destroyed after a treatment. He will take a steroid pill the day before and have a Neupogen shot (against infection) 24-48 hours after the treatment. We will only have to go to Portland the day of the treatment (when it is early in the morning, we will probably stay at Angie's the night before). They are going to see if Curt can get the shot the day after in Corvallis. He will gradually feel worse for 4 to 10 days after the treatment and then gradually feel better. There are lots of possible side effects he could have, but everyone is different. Because Curt is in good shape, there might not be as many side effects. He can be as active as he feels like. After a couple treatments, they will do another MRI to see if the tumor is shrinking. They think he will have fast relief from the headache pain he is having now after the first treatment. They would like for us to take a class there about chemotherapy, before he starts but there is not enough time. We spent quite a bit of time with a nurse(?) who explained some things, gave us some literature, and showed us where he will have treatments (on the 7th floor of the building by the river with good views looking south and looking at Mt. Hood). Another good thing today, was that he weighed about 157 lbs.! Curt also cancelled his surgery on his eye on June 1 today.
I hope I remembered everything (Curt helps me). We had a lot thrown at us today!
I hope I remembered everything (Curt helps me). We had a lot thrown at us today!
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