your father is in my prayers, and so are you cat.
Bad News about my fathers health...
- Thread starter CAT3
- Start date
Will be keeping you and your family in our prayers....
Prayer sent up.
UPDATE 9 MAY 07
I was able to talk to my dad this afternoon, unfortunately he was trying to rest...ooops. He could barely talk, b/w breathing hard and shallow and then his neck and throat hurting. So I called my mom. Basically, the run down I got is, as long as he stays in the hospital he should have up to a year left. If he left the hospital today, he'd lay down and sleep eternally. Let's see, there are tubes in his lower and upper legs, chest and abdominal area for draining fluid. Tubes in his nose & throat, typical IV regime in an attempt to stabilize him. He had 2 heart attacks in a 4 day period, and has suffered a lot of damage to the heart muscles. Contradicting all this, if he doesn't get the grand finale of Chemo, the Oncologist gave him less than a year without a doubt. The cancer seemingly took a deep hold in a large portion of his tissues, and has survived the first wave of chem & radiation. There as an option of putting a shunt in his heart....funny enough my mom was consulting with the minister/chaplain guy in the hospital, who gave his insight "Ma'am, I've seen at least 7 patients in the area getting shunts in their heart in an attempt to prolong their life. I've also administered 7 last rights! I would think about the shunt and make an informed decision." My mom later asked the Dr. about the shunt and he too basically discouraged them from going thru that surgery.
So, he can't get the chemo & radiation until he's stable. He wont be stable for "several weeks at best" from the Dr. opinion. If the cancer isn't brought under control, hoping for the grand finale to control it, then he dies of complications from the cancer. Lose-Lose situation. Best case, the can get him stabilized in a short period of time, get his grand finale treatment done, that treatment works, and he remains either in the hospital or on loads of meds to live out the next few months. Of course, they wont give him much for the pain, as his heart, liver and everything else has contraindicators for pain relief. Oh yeah, they are alternating meds, one to build more blood, the other to keep it from clotting, counterproductive to eachother, and the stroke meds he was already on.
The Life Deli has served my dad a sh*t-sandwich, and it seems only the chef appreciates it!
I was able to talk to my dad this afternoon, unfortunately he was trying to rest...ooops. He could barely talk, b/w breathing hard and shallow and then his neck and throat hurting. So I called my mom. Basically, the run down I got is, as long as he stays in the hospital he should have up to a year left. If he left the hospital today, he'd lay down and sleep eternally. Let's see, there are tubes in his lower and upper legs, chest and abdominal area for draining fluid. Tubes in his nose & throat, typical IV regime in an attempt to stabilize him. He had 2 heart attacks in a 4 day period, and has suffered a lot of damage to the heart muscles. Contradicting all this, if he doesn't get the grand finale of Chemo, the Oncologist gave him less than a year without a doubt. The cancer seemingly took a deep hold in a large portion of his tissues, and has survived the first wave of chem & radiation. There as an option of putting a shunt in his heart....funny enough my mom was consulting with the minister/chaplain guy in the hospital, who gave his insight "Ma'am, I've seen at least 7 patients in the area getting shunts in their heart in an attempt to prolong their life. I've also administered 7 last rights! I would think about the shunt and make an informed decision." My mom later asked the Dr. about the shunt and he too basically discouraged them from going thru that surgery.
So, he can't get the chemo & radiation until he's stable. He wont be stable for "several weeks at best" from the Dr. opinion. If the cancer isn't brought under control, hoping for the grand finale to control it, then he dies of complications from the cancer. Lose-Lose situation. Best case, the can get him stabilized in a short period of time, get his grand finale treatment done, that treatment works, and he remains either in the hospital or on loads of meds to live out the next few months. Of course, they wont give him much for the pain, as his heart, liver and everything else has contraindicators for pain relief. Oh yeah, they are alternating meds, one to build more blood, the other to keep it from clotting, counterproductive to eachother, and the stroke meds he was already on.
The Life Deli has served my dad a sh*t-sandwich, and it seems only the chef appreciates it!
UPDATE 12 MAY 07
When does a bad situation stop getting worse? I'd like to know really..
This morning my dad was woke up by more needles going into his body and blood everywhere. Apparently while he was sleeping, he started draining blood from his mouth and nose. After getting a scan, he has internal bleeding, and some sort of infection in his lungs. He immediately rec'd 2 unit of blood, almost 2 pints (most adults have 8-10 total, but his has been lowered thru the chemo-radiation). The scan also revealed the more damage to his heart than previsouly thought... "your fathers heart has been damaged severely, about 30% of his heart is operating in a normal capacity and shows healthy tissue, the rest....well, it doesn't look favorable!"
When my mom went to visit him today, he asked the nurse to refuse visitation. Very unlike my dad.
I also found out today, my dad volunteered his body to the University of Michigan (or at least my mom thinks its UofM), part of the deal includes experts to provide medical treatment in the event of terminal illness, as it is imperative to collect as much living data as possible, which will narrow the post-living autopsy and study more refined. So he has a team of Specialists, basically arguing amongst eachother. The Cardio-pulmonary says he needs to remain in Critical Care Unit to be stable, the Oncologist Specialist says he needs to get his grand finale treatment before the cancer invades the remaining good tissue and vital organs, the Kidney specialist says the treatment he is on now, and the grand finale is killing his kidneys (cancer in them hasn't helped either), the respiratory specialist is worried from the cancer, the heart condition and now an infection which b/w the whole crew of 5 Teams of Specialists none of them can figure out WTF it is.
More blood will be going into him throughout the day and evening.
I'm locked in a pickle with this move. So, we have to wait it out until next friday when we have the moving van unloaded and appointments done, scrounge up the left-over funds and roll out to Michigan from Colorado, luckily I have the leave time built-up for this...
My personal take on this.. God will take him when he wants to, that much I know and believe, and I need to believe that for my head to stay straight. I think my dad has a deal with the man upstairs to let him meet his granddaughter before laying to rest. That would be in my dad's character. He's been in the hospital before, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart attack, pneumonia, but he's never refused visitation before. My mom also mentioned, he was trying to save the last bit of life for a few more days, and then mentioned Arriyhanna's name (my daughter).
I appreciate all the support and prayers, and so does my family. Thank you all, from the Trayer family (and Martin's, thats my stepdads sirname).
Charlie
When does a bad situation stop getting worse? I'd like to know really..
This morning my dad was woke up by more needles going into his body and blood everywhere. Apparently while he was sleeping, he started draining blood from his mouth and nose. After getting a scan, he has internal bleeding, and some sort of infection in his lungs. He immediately rec'd 2 unit of blood, almost 2 pints (most adults have 8-10 total, but his has been lowered thru the chemo-radiation). The scan also revealed the more damage to his heart than previsouly thought... "your fathers heart has been damaged severely, about 30% of his heart is operating in a normal capacity and shows healthy tissue, the rest....well, it doesn't look favorable!"
When my mom went to visit him today, he asked the nurse to refuse visitation. Very unlike my dad.
I also found out today, my dad volunteered his body to the University of Michigan (or at least my mom thinks its UofM), part of the deal includes experts to provide medical treatment in the event of terminal illness, as it is imperative to collect as much living data as possible, which will narrow the post-living autopsy and study more refined. So he has a team of Specialists, basically arguing amongst eachother. The Cardio-pulmonary says he needs to remain in Critical Care Unit to be stable, the Oncologist Specialist says he needs to get his grand finale treatment before the cancer invades the remaining good tissue and vital organs, the Kidney specialist says the treatment he is on now, and the grand finale is killing his kidneys (cancer in them hasn't helped either), the respiratory specialist is worried from the cancer, the heart condition and now an infection which b/w the whole crew of 5 Teams of Specialists none of them can figure out WTF it is.
More blood will be going into him throughout the day and evening.
I'm locked in a pickle with this move. So, we have to wait it out until next friday when we have the moving van unloaded and appointments done, scrounge up the left-over funds and roll out to Michigan from Colorado, luckily I have the leave time built-up for this...
My personal take on this.. God will take him when he wants to, that much I know and believe, and I need to believe that for my head to stay straight. I think my dad has a deal with the man upstairs to let him meet his granddaughter before laying to rest. That would be in my dad's character. He's been in the hospital before, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart attack, pneumonia, but he's never refused visitation before. My mom also mentioned, he was trying to save the last bit of life for a few more days, and then mentioned Arriyhanna's name (my daughter).
I appreciate all the support and prayers, and so does my family. Thank you all, from the Trayer family (and Martin's, thats my stepdads sirname).
Charlie
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
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