The latest update

I really do apologize that it has been so long since the latest update. Due in part to me just not having a lot of extra time and the other part is because we had a virus on our computer and Time Warner cut off our access! Sean got us all set up again today.

We have quickly discovered that our lives are like riding a roller coaster. One minute we are up and the next we are down. The up part was the visit from Tom's brother John. We all enjoyed his visit so much and were really sorry to see him go. We also very much appreciated his taking Tom to his radiation treatments while he was here and going with us to the Oncologist. It has been pretty much down since then. When we saw Lindsey, the Physician's Assistant at the Oncologist's office, she was very concerned about Tom's loss of weight as he had lost 10 pounds in the last two weeks. She also was very upset that his blood pressure was so low, 87/44. They would not let us out of the office before he received an IV of saline solution to try and bring his blood pressure up. He was severly dehydrated and they had a terrible time just finding a vein to take his blood for his weekly blood test. This was due to a medication that the Radiologist perscribed to try and reduce the swelling in Tom's feet. Lindsey took him off that immediately.

I vowed that I would not fight with him over eating, but find that the Drs are telling us that we have to push as much at him as he can stand. It is either that or he has to go into the hospital where they will feed him via an IV. He does like the Ensure and is drinking 6 bottles of them a day. The good news here is that he has gained 5 pounds since Thursday. The bad news is that the combination of the steroids, radiation treatments and chemotherapy are really doing a job on him. He is as weak as a lamp and the steriods have raised his blood sugar and he now has a mild form of diabetes. This is making it very difficult for him to swallow solid food. He chews a mouthful of scrambled eggs for 5 minutes before he can finally swallow it and then only with a drink. Needless to say this just tires him out more.

I called the Oncologist's office this morning to let them know that we had had a rough weekend! They thought that it was best if he saw a doctor today and since he was going this morning for a radiation treatment, it was decided that his radiologist Dr Troutman would be the best one to see. Dr Troutman explained that he felt the best course to follow would be to just continue with radiation and chemotherapy treatments as well as the 1 1/2 steriods. He said that we would monitor him closely and if his condition continued to deteriorate, that they might want to consider stopping his treatments all together. He explained that due to the size of the tumor we only had a 40% chance of the treatments reducing/stopping the growth of the tumor. I have decided to take a leave of absence from work. Dr Troutman wrote me out for the next 30 days so that I could stay home with Tom 24/7. After the 30 days we will reevaluate Tom's condition and decide what to do from there. He will have finished his radiation and first round of chemotherapy by that time. Sean is here with us now and is going to stay through Wednesday when Mike is coming for a week. For the most part, I can take care of Tom, but if he needs assistance getting up, he is dead weight and I can not always get him out of the car or chair. And if he falls, there is not way that I can get him up. Tom and I are so very grateful to both of them for all of the love and support that they give us both every day!

Please continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Tom & Lynne
Mike & Tina
Sean & Anna