Last Wednesday we met with the doctor at the Bone Marrow Transplant clinic and found out that Eric's cancer had returned and was now Leukemia and terminal. It was a hard day, especially breaking the news to our our six children and four son/daughters-in-law.
Thursday Eric started on a 10-day course of low dose chemotherapy, to be followed by 10 days of radiation. For the past few weeks Eric has been feeling a lot of pressure and pain in his chest and back. During the day it was manageable, but it has been keeping Eric from restful sleep. The chemotherapy has now added some interesting gastrointestinal challenges.
We left the house at 7:30 this morning to head to LDS hospital. Eric's vital signs were taken and blood was drawn for lab work. The sweet nurse hooked Eric up right away to his chemo so that it would finish about the time we met with the doctor. She told us we would then be able to head home and enjoy the rest of the day. HAH!
The physician's assistant went through the lengthy checklist that is covered at each appointment. He was concerned to hear that Eric's chest pressure/pain was worse and that Eric wasn't sleeping well. Then the labs came back with the news that Eric's liver is not happy. We were supposed to wait to speak to the doctor but the weekly tumor board was running long, so the PA said we could go.
We had almost made it to our car when my cell phone rang. The meeting was over and the doctor wanted to speak with us. I hung up and my phone rang again and I found out we had been scheduled to meet with a gastroenterologist at 11:15 today. So we went back to the BMT clinic and visited with the doctor. At the tumor board they decided the chemo was too hard on Eric's liver, so after seven doses it has been discontinued. But not to worry, he said that a lot of times they just do five day courses of chemo. Instead, they want to start Eric's radiation tomorrow and they wanted us to meet with the gastroenterologist in just a few minutes.
The gastroenterologist decided that Eric needed to have an MRI, endoscopy, and fecal specimen analysis as soon as possible, with the possibility of a colonoscopy later. So instead of heading home we went to the radiology department. It was our lucky day. Two people were scheduled ahead of us, but neither of them was there yet, so they did Eric right away. The MRI was quite hard on Eric with his achy bones. We finally arrived home just after 3:00.
Tomorrow Eric has an endoscopy at LDS hospital in the morning and radiation at IMC (Intermountain Medical Center) in the afternoon. He will then have radiation on Friday. We will have Saturday and Sunday off (yeah!!!). Radiation every day next week, as well as labs and a clinic visit, and we finish off the radiation the following week.
The good news is that the chemotherapy is busy working in Eric's body as we speak, they are starting the radiation five days earlier than they had planned, and if there is something specific they find for the gastroenterologist to fix, he will do it right away. A few weeks from now Eric should be feeling a lot better.
We have appreciated everyone's love and support this past week. Your kind words and prayers have meant a lot to us.
From Eric:
Thanks to everybody for their faith and concern. The past week has underscored the wisdom in letting this disease run its course rather than pursuing heroic (low odds) remedies. Life takes on a different cast when you accept the reality that you will pass on to the next life sooner rather than later. I feel most grateful to have known each of you in the course of this journey. We shall see if the docs can establish a new and tolerable normal in the next few weeks that will make a few extra months worth it. I would just like a good night's sleep.
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