Saturday, January 19, 2013

Saturday

It's cold but the sun is shining.  Pat is on a plane to Detroit with his Dad, I just Zumba'd away some calories, had breakfast at Mom's, and am going to meet a friend at EVO to drink a beer and shoot the breeze.  It's a good time to get away and do fun stuff.
It's been a quiet week,a wet and cold week, and we've been striving for normalcy.  Audrey left on Monday and we both promptly took a sofa and snoozed the afternoon away.  We met our friend Vito and Kerry that evening at DFH because we knew we would not be meeting them the next two Thursdays (and Thursdays are the highlight of our week!). Other than that it's been work, errands, movies, battling a cold, and staying warm.
Thursday was the visit with the Radiation Doctor.  Quite informative.  Pat will be undergoing interdigitated chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  This treatment entails three days of continuous drip chemotherapy, a day or two off, then five days radiation treatment.  The chemotherapy's job is to kill any stray cells elsewhere in his body while the radiation is isolated to the sarcoma. With this, the radiation doses can be lower and in a smaller area.  There is a lot of communication going on between the radiation department and the medical oncology department.  This treatment depends on the calendars and schedules meshing. The first thing to happen before anything is a simulation for radiation.  They take his scans, his body, his measurements and build this "machine" just for him to hold him in a position for periods of time, days in a row for the radiation.  Once this is started, everything else can begin.  Schedules, schedules, schedules.
Thursday was also a PET scan to determine that there is nothing else hidden anywhere.  We have not gotten the results from that but do not get the impression they are expecting to find anything.  It's a necessary precaution.  Blood work, labs, and and EKG followed on Friday and Emma accompanied him.
In the meantime, Audrey had a doctors appointment on Friday morning.  She and I drove to Carroll County, she snoozing, and me, well...that's another story. Let's just say I had an anxiety attack and needed to see a doctor. Audrey asked why the secrecy? I just could not add one more thing to my husbands mind nor to my children's. But it's also probably why I experienced it, internalizing everything.
So now I am feeling stupid and relieved.  Knowledge is power.
And with the treatment ahead, Knowledge is power.  I have some new books on my reading table, Cancer: 50 Essential Things to Do, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, and lastly Doug's Miracle, a re-read needed to keep the faith.
We have had an incredible outpouring of offers, of prayers, of concerns, and even just hellos.  We hear you loud and clear and we are uplifted. Thank you.
We ended our day Friday, all four of us, at a pub downtown, laughing and crying and gathering strength from one another.  That family of ours is pretty amazing.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You created this amazing family.
Mama

Molly's Family said...

Pat and Dana,
We are following your blog and want you to know we are thinking of you and keeping you in prayer. So glad Pat and his dad have gone to the car show. Hang in there,Dana. You have a loving and supportive family and that is a blessing. Please let us know if we can do ANYTHING. Take care and God Bless. Molly's Family