Hi Ladies! Thank you so much for all the T and P you've been sending the past two months!
An update on Dad and his colonrectal cancer...
They stopped his chemotherapy a week early. His counts are good (though his potassium was a bit low and he had to go on supplements). He got "unplugged" for what we hope will be the last time on Friday- he had a port with a chemo ball in a little pouch to carry around all week, rather than be hooked into a machine for several hours a day at the hospital. Port is still in, he's cracking jokes about using it to mainline morphine and viagra.
His last radiation treatment is on Tuesday. Treatment is definitely doing something. He cannot eat spicy foods (which makes him mad, he looooves spicy food), and he has a 20 second warning before he needs to run for the bathroom, but he's ok with that. Surgery to remove the cancerous tissue will occur in mid February.
DH and I went to visit Thursday, came back Saturday. Both of my siblings were in town, along with Sister's husband and my nieces. Kind of a "check on Dad, let Pop Pop see the grandkids around Christmas" type deal (Sis and her husband live in CA, brother in Chicago, so it's rare for all of Dad's kids and grandkids to be in the same place unless there's a wedding or funeral to attend).
Sister and I went with Dad for his Friday appointments. Radiation first. Met the three girls taking care of him during that treatment. Very nice, and apparently our Dad is quite entertaining, though at times a peach. Dad has always been a joker, telling the youngest, prettiest one he was born 45 years to early, asking how her "squid" (Navy) boyfriend is doing (Dad is USMC), telling the ladies he's about to star in a tv show- when asked he says "The Walking Dead" etc. At his insistence, we brought each gal a bottle of good wine as a thank you for taking care of him. We also brought in wine for the chemo nurses and the scheduling staffers from Dad as a thank you for their care for him.
Below is a photo of Dad. This is at the Radiation center. They have what looks like a Shinto style set up, with a gong. When you finish all radiation treatments, you get to ring the gong. Sister and I got photos of Dad standing with the gong in anticipation of his ringing it on Tuesday. He is looking great for all the treatment he's undergoing.
Friday night, after dinner, Sister, brother, nieces, etc all went to stay at their accommodations. Dad insisted DH and I help him celebrate being unplugged from chemo. Well.....Dad got loaded. He never gets loaded except with scotch (which he's only drunk twice in his life). Apparently, 3 bottles of wine will do it to him as well. He was more relaxed and animated than I've seen him in years, laughing and talking with DH and I. He felt like utter shit in the morning, but it was a good evening.
T and P to all who are dealing with cancer and know those who are fighting it. After Dad's surgery, we'll arrange for Cancer to meet with an "unfortunate accident" ;D