Happy New Year

I think I passed on new year wishes a post or two ago, but I'm too lazy to read my own blog and find out.

No real news from Orion today. Breakfast out with friends, rehab, McDonalds for lunch, and a nap. It's not necessarily a bad thing to sum up an entire day in only one sentence. Especially if it is the last day of the year.

Happy New Year, thanks for pulling for my dad in 2008, be safe tonight and into 2009. See ya next year!

Love, Jon

Back to comfy Orion

You have no idea how hard it is to come up with titles for this blog when every other event is "Going to hospital" or "Going home". I'm open to suggestions.

Dad is back at home in his recliner and resting from resting. Both of them are still fighting colds which I can't really even imagine how that feels after getting chemo. There is nothing medical to note. His INR level needs some work, but we've discovered that it seems to be affected mostly by exercise and diet. Funny thing about exercise and diet is that when you don't feel good you don't exercise and eat right, which makes your blood go funny, which makes you not feel good. It's a vicious circle.

I almost forgot...if anyone who reads this knows or sees Kirby or Mike Backstrom...thank them for meeting us for breakfast the other day and buying. My dad and I both agreed there was no way we were gonna beat them to the check. Larry is buying next time. 

Jon

Getting used to it....

Dad had his second and full round of chemo today and it has caused a slight detour.

He's back in the hospital.

Now....before you get too upset, it is probably short term and nothing to worry about. After he finished receiving chemo and was headed out the door, he developed a severe chill and a bout of shivering. The doctor wasn't exactly sure what it was, but since they are being very careful with him and wanted to make sure he didn't have an infection, they admitted him to the hospital. They were debating whether to send him, but at the end of the day, better safe than sorry. He also has a cold that he contracted while we were there. Being around that many people in the winter time is bound to have implications and it seems he wasn't the only one to get the cold. Tim and my mother also have it. 

The "B" drug in his ABVD treatment is known to give patients a fever and could possibly be the culprit. He didn't get this drug in the first round, so it might simply be that. He was running a temperature while he was there already.

Anyhow....my family is now home safe and sound in Tampa, and already enjoying the 75 degree weather and our own beds. We hope everyone had a great Christmas or Holiday time and let's all hope 2009 provides better health for not only my dad, but anyone afflicted with such difficult problems.

Love, Jon

Travelling...

Hello all...no news of note. Dad had a good week with everyone home. We took the ENTIRE family down to the mall for a family photo...what a zoo. There were 10 of us and it took like a thousand shots to get a picture with everyone not looking foolish. I'll post some Xmas photos in a day or so.

Ray - two notes for you....I'm most of the way home now and the jinx continues. After we took the family photo we headed out to eat...lo and behold...flat tire on mom and dads car. The kicker is that the tire was brand new as of 12/9.

Thanks for the notes everyone else...Thanks for calling Mike. I'm sure he will be glad to hear from you Diane.

Chemo tommorrow.

Another day, another dollar...

Ha....Dad has been breaking out all of his old sayings so he can continue to be the funniest guy in the room. Every morning he has gotten me with the 'ol:

Jon: Hi Dad - How did you sleep?
Larry: Lying down.

We went to rehab today...physical, occupational, and speech. He didn't like the physical therapy today. He seems to think the guy put him through the wringer. Generally the upside we have seen lately is that he has been staying alert all day and getting up fewer times in the night. Those two things have him in a better schedule and, I think, feeling better. For those of you that talked to him the other day, thanks for calling. Even though he gets emotional he likes to hear from people other than the usual suspects.

Chemo is still scheduled for 12/29, so...hopefully round 2 can get done without incident or drama.

Staying home for the holidays!

Quick update.

Doctors appt. went great. His blood work is solid and he went to rehab prior and did well. The doctor thought he was looking better and that he would like to give him the "regular" chemo treatment for 12/29.

So....we are all home for the holidays. My dad kept saying he didn't want to go to the hospital and I think as we neared the doctors office he was getting more and more scared of the prospect.

THANK YOU! - I have no doubt that our collective efforts helped.

The weather is a little treacherous, but we are settled in. The snow blower that someone mentioned in a previous comment is indeed not working, but I have reverted to my old high school days of shoveling the drive. I think they added about 50 feet to the driveway since I last shoveled.

Oh...and just to keep the string of broken things going, I stepped out the front door yesterday and sprained my ankle pretty badly. My dad and his walker and me limping look quite a site. Two invalids trekking through the snow.

Thanks again...Merry Christmas to everyone.

Love Jon

It's working...

I'll give you guys the credit for the day so far. Thanks for the messages and best wishes.

My dad and I went to breakfast this morning at Dennys and met with a couple of his friends for coffee. We had a good time, got out of the house, the temperature is a balmy 20'ish degrees....good stuff. So, for 4 hours today things are looking good. One downside....using a walker in the snow is an interesting adventure.

Curious Murphys law development. Here is a list of things that have gone wrong around this house....it's like a test of some sorts.

• Shower handle broke in the only Larry accessable shower.
• Dishwasher went out.
• Car mirror mysteriously broke off my parents car.
• Fireplace burner went out.

All of it is fixed, but it's a good "When it rains, it pours" story.

Jon

Christmas wish

Back from the Dr. I'm not really sure how my mom accomplishes these trips 5 times a week. I guess having -2 degree weather wasn't much help.

There are a few things going on for those of you that wish to click around and figure out what it all means. His platelets are low, which is a common problem for chemo patients. This makes him more susceptible to bleeding, and along with his coumadin issues it is a real concern.

Here is where I need some Christmas wishes. Dad is scheduled for another appt. on Christmas eve. However you can contribute.....lets hope that the tests done on that day don't mean that he will have to go to the hospital on Christmas. Granted...I would rather he be wherever he can be best cared for, but the Christmas spirit around the house is running a little low.

Thanks for your comments, well wishes, and prayers. I have been reviewing the visitor list here with him and I know if helps keep his spirits up.

Jon

Home...everyone

Sorry for the lack of info. lately. I've apparently been driving across Siberia. It is clear to me now why we moved to Florida. No offense to those of you that love snow.

I'm sitting here in Orion, having breakfast with Dad, and trying to figure out how they operate around here. Dad is doing....ok. He is obviously not his old self, but he is also kind of stuck in a rut a bit. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think he's pretty fed up with the whole ordeal. We are taking him to the doctor later to give my mom a break from the daily grind, and she is going to get a long needed massage.

Since I'm supposed to be working, I'll leave this as my update to everyone, but I'll check back in later after the appt.

0 degrees...seriously...

Headed back home

Quick update since I'm packing to head home myself....they are leaving the hospital through the revolving door. His hemoglobin recovered well to over 10. This is a good sign since prior efforts to get his anemia to budge took a lot more time and a lot more blood.

He is going to eat his insurance company paid lunch and try to avoid further problems. I told them to save additional drama until I can get there. I'm aging fast at this point.

Jon

Frustrating.

If anyone would like to just scroll down to the post labeled "Back to the Hospital...briefly?" you can probably use that as an update for today.

Last night my dad was complaining of a headache and was quite tired....so...off to the ER we go. By "we" I mean my mom and my dad. It then becomes an exercise in waiting around for this one and that one to stamp this paper and get this paper signed.

Currently my dad is in room 156 at Trinity, Terrace Park, in Bettendorf, IA. This is apparently in closer proximity to his hematologist / oncologist, who also was the attending physician last night when they got there. He has had two units of blood to increase his hemoglobin levels, and all scans that they did were normal for anything troubling. I believe the plan is to wait to get the current blood tests back and to get him home if everything is stable. His headache had cleared up after sitting around the ER for a while. Funny...but that would have given me a headache.

I will let everyone know later how this goes. My mom feels it was probably a good thing since the weather there was going to make it rough to get into an appointment today.

Snow, chemo, and other assorted things...

Well the daily update is as you would expect. Similar to other daily updates. He had rehab today to combat the effects of the stroke from late October. The people who run him through his paces seem to think he is doing well and did a great job today, but my mom thinks he is tired. He told my mom that they said he did such a good job the other day that he didn't have to exercise any more that day. Seems he might now also be inclined to bend the truth a bit.

He is scheduled for his next round of chemo on 12/29 and more blood tests, tommorrow, 12/18. It's important to get tommorrows tests in as it is hard to get help or attention from the medical community on a weekend. Anyone tuning in from the Quad City area...keep an eye on the weather for me. I might have to help them come up with a backup plan to get into the doctors office.

Jon