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Dad and mom went to St. Louis today. Dad had the temporary stint in the bile duct that drains from the liver replaced with a permanent one. The procedure went well and they will return home tomorrow morning. Dad has to remain on a liquid diet for the next several days. Monday, he will receive a port through which the gemcitabin treatments can be facilitated with more ease. He will receive chemo again Tuesday.
The oncologist wants dad to receive two more treatments of gemcitabin before re-imaging him. So, the CAT scan will be scheduled a few weeks out. His appetite is very poor, and he remains fatigued. His potassium was low on Tuesday, but other levels looked good! Dad's spirit and optimism remain strong.
We're at the two month mark now. It's incredible how much we've learned and experienced in these two months. Our vocabularies have changed, as have the nature of our conversations. When I have free time, I find myself browsing cancer blogs, research abstracts, and clinical trials updates rather than overstock.com. I am also much more aware of the extensive network that inhabits cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers. It's hard to believe we are now in that web. It seems more people than I ever realized have loved ones with some type of cancer. This network spans all ages and cultures. I met a woman online from L.A. whose father also has pancreatic cancer with lung metastasis. She and I exchange any new information we find. We continue to explore medical and alternative treatments, supplements, etc. that are being tested with patients with pancreatic cancer.
Thanks for your continued support of mom and dad.
