so I've debated on whether or not I was going to write this...
despite my Daddy's desire to keep a low profile and not draw any attention to himself,
he needs you now
i need you now
we need your prayers and your thoughts today
once again
we have been holding our breath since Sunday, waiting to hear from the doctors
the headaches have returned
oh those dreaded, awful headaches, for notwithstanding the excruciating and relentless pain that comes with them,
its what they mean that we despise most
we learned yesterday from the lab results that the IGM protein, the cancer cells within my Daddy's blood, have made an enormous jump up 4000 points this past month.
4000...
from 1700 to 5700 in one month
that's horrible.
these headaches are caused by the loss of proper blood flow due to the overwhelming amount of cancer cells within the blood that makes it dangerously thick
over the past many months i looked forward to receiving the little texts and messages from my Daddy letting me know that once again his IGM levels had dropped by 200 points...300 points, etc
dropping
that was the trend
then about 2 months ago, the doctor decided that prolonging the use of one of his medications was too risky for his heart.
he was taken off of it.
we all were questioning and wondering if this very thing would happen.
within this hour Daddy has been admitted to the hospital once again
as we finally heard back from the specialist this morning!
Dad does NOT want to be in the hospital as he has "some very important meetings" he needs to go to this week!
Ha, he wouldn't be Dad if he wasn't worried about missing work:)
in the hospital he will undergo plasmapheresis as he had to the first time he was admitted to the hospital.
this is in an attempt to quickly bring down the IGM levels in his blood by replacing the protein-laden plasma with fresh plasma. this procedure produced great miracles last time it was performed, i am expecting the same results!!
we are also waiting to hear what the new treatment regimen will be for Daddy. as Multiple-Myeloma is the most aggressive form of Lymphoma it can quickly render medications ineffective at which time new medications must be pursued. this is i believe Dad's 3rd or 4th new regimen.
i ask for your prayers in behalf of my Daddy and our family as we move ahead down this new path.
for i know that it was through the faith and strength of your fasting and prayers that we saw miracles and felt sustained during those trying months before.
i will post updates when i can.
thank you again dear friends and family.
***UPDATED 3:18 pm***
so i guess its a good thing that its been so long that i forgot how exasperating hospitals are.
my father hasn't even been officially admitted into the hospital yet!
he's in one of those sardine ER rooms waiting...
getting some initial tests done
Mike said he hit the 'testing jackpot...he's getting every conceivable test done"
apparently he will have a real room in an hour or so
and then they will have to have a test on his kidney to make sure it is functioning properly before they can even do the plasmapheresis...
which they hope to do tonight.
oh i forgot how slowly things progress in a hospital!!!
***UPDATED 8:50pm***
i am finally here at the hospital
and the plasmapheresis treatment has just begun
just about 2 hours ago they came in to start the procedure and the machine broke!!!
wow...
couldn't believe it!
we had to wait for a replacement
happily i am reporting that the two attending nurses that i have met have both been very kind
this machine is rather remarkable
when it starts up it sounds like a plane ready for take off
it is a high tech version of spin art that i had as a kid
Daddy's blood is spun around and separates into its various components
the protein laden plasma is replaced with fresh plasma and then the fresh blood is pumped back in
i am relieved to see this procedure finally begin
when i first got here it was difficult to see my Daddy in this state once again
my invincible father weakened by immense pain and nausea
tossing and moaning
he finally received his new doses of medications which quickly reduced him to a relaxed state of heavy snoring and sleep
i felt as if i could breath again
2 1/2 hours he will be on this machine
a sweet nurse overseeing, pushing buttons and checking numbers that i do not understand,
but grateful she does
a little guardian angel over my Daddy
he will have to go through this procedure 2 more times within the next few days
we pray that the results this time will be as successful as the last set
for now i hear the active hum of the machine, the heavy snores of my Daddy, and the soft voices of my uncle and brother both here to aid and support.
for now i am breathing ok
to read more on My Daddy and our family's journey with cancer click here or on the label 'My Daddy' in the right column
