March Madness

Isn't that the truth!? Dad received his first chemo treatment last Tuesday after being prevented from receiving treatments due to the blood infection and subsequent complications. He went to St. Louis to have his liver stent replaced, at which time it was discovered that the stent had been the source of the infection all along. Tim had guessed that from the beginning. Just to recap....the doctors (after days of discord on the issue) decided to allow the infectious disease physician to remove dad's port, as the doc was convinced the port was the source of the infection. Dad learned last week that all cultures taken from the port after it was removed were negative (no infection). Because the port was removed, a pic line was placed in his arm so he could receive his antibiotics. Mom has to flush the line twice daily. She is doing a fabulous job, though admits she did not miss her calling to be a nurse!

So...back to the chemo. Dad is now on to a Phase 2 chemo regimen consisting of a cocktail of 5FU and oxaliplatin. The oxaliplatin is more toxic than the tarceva was, but has shown promising results in preliminary studies completed at MD Anderson. Dad also has a new oncologist, as Dr. Sorscher is now only seeing his patients in St. Louis. This was a difficult transition, as mom and dad had developed quite a fondness and trust for Dr. Sorscher and his nurse, Sherry.

Dad is feeling quite fatigued from the chemo, but is hanging in there. He is watching lots of basketball and has been doing some yard work. Benjamin and I spent my spring break with mom and dad and had a great time. Somehow, I got through the whole week without taking a picture of dad and Ben, but here is one of "MiMi Lou" and Ben at the park that I love. Funny .....Ben started calling dad "Grandpa Lou!" Ha.



An interesting theme that has emerged is that each doctor who saw dad at the time he was diagnosed has been shocked to see how well he is still doing. His GI specialist in St. Louis said he must be a special man....he admitted he did not expect to see dad back at 7 months post dx. Everyone, even the specialists, agree that dad's attitude is the source of his strength and perseverance.

Please continue to pray for dad and mom. Each day is a blessing no matter our circumstance.

Today...

Dad was admitted to Southeast Hospital. His liver enzymes are elevated, his fever spiked to 103.8, and some new symptoms have emerged including severe chest pain. They have ruled out pneumonia, heart attack, and lung infection. They are running many tests to identify the source of these symptoms. We'll keep you posted

Riding the Cancer Train....

The cancer has spread throughout dad's lungs and to some lymphnodes. However, the actual pancreatic tumor has remained relatively stable in size, which is an excellent indication that his body has responded to the Gemzar. Dr. Sorscher gave dad three options: continue the course of treatment he is currently on, try a different combination of drugs that are slightly more toxic and not FDA approved yet for pancreatic cancer, or discontinue treatment. Dad chose option 2 and started today. The 5 FU/oxaliplatin combination is delivered for 48 hours continuously through a pump that carries the meds through dad's port. He does this once every other week. This combination is typically used with patients who have colon cancer. However, a recent clinical trial using these drugs with patients with pancreatic cancer was recently completed at M.D. Anderson. Results indicated that 1/3 of the patients experienced some decrease in the size of their tumors. So, dad thought it was worth a shot. The side effects are expected to be considerably more intense, including severe reactions to cold food and temperatures, swelling of the hands and feet, and difficulty breathing. Hopefully, dad will not experience these. There currently is not Phase 2 drug protocol for people with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Sorscher and Sheri, his nurse, continue to be amazed at dad's optimism and drive to fight this cancer. They contribute his success to treatment up to this point to his attitude.

Dad participated in the creation of the annual Wildlife Dinner at church. The men transformed the church gym into a wildlife spectacular, complete with once-live bears, leopards, moose, deer, boar, and many other animals. Even amidst an ice storm, the wildlife dinner was a huge success. The Bixler men were invited on stage to perform their famous hambone.Can't wait for that video to surface on you tube (wink).






The ice storm devastated most of southeast Missouri. Mom and dad lost many of their trees. Tim worked all day piling up as many of the branches and limbs as he could.












Ben and I spent several days with mom and dad in Sikeston. He loves getting spoiled almost as much as they love spoiling him. Dad even tolerated Barney for an afternoon.....sort of.......










Mom made a poignant statement today. She said she misses how simple life used to be. Now, if you know my mom, you know she rarely complains about anything in her life. This was not delivered as a complaint, but as a somber reflection. She commented how much different things were pre-cancer....when days didn't revolve around chemo drugs and side effects, phone calls with insurance companies, trips to doctors, fear over blood levels, chemo reactions, and the unknown. I many times find myself becoming overwhelmed at the busyness of our lives, but mom reminded me in her gentle way that though things are stressful, life is full of many blessings. The simplicity and busyness of each daily opportunity and obligation and accomplishment should be fully embraced and appreciated because, "That's just what we've always done." I have never heard her complain about any detail involving dad's care. She is living her vow, "in sickness and in health" with love and devotion that is deeply admirable.

Aunt Marge emailed this to me a few weeks ago and I loved it....

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go, only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly! Seems appropriate for dad's blog.

Hope you all are well and warm and loved,
Angie

Take Action

I know everyone is busy, but we would be most grateful if you took a few minutes to write your legislators in support of the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act (HR 745). It was introduced in 2008, but evidently there was not time before the close of the session for it to be discussed and passed. Now that congress has reconvened, it is crucial that we demonstrate support for this very important bill. It would be the first pancreatic cancer legislation in history.

Please take the time to copy and paste the address below enter your browser, click on the first option (to write a letter to your representative), enter your zip code, and send a note of support to your representatives. There is already a letter template for you. Just sign your name and hit send!

Thank you!!!
http://www.pancan.org/Public/take.html

Treatment today

Dad received a Gemzar treatment today. His labs looked good with the exception of a slightly high liver enzyme level. Elevated liver enzymes can evidently be caused by the chemo. Anyone know anything about this?? He's a little tired, but thankfully doing well overall.

A Christmas Story.....

I'm writing this post with my feet propped up on dad's hospital bed. We've been reading posts on pancreatic cancer message boards and watching CBS Sunday Morning. We've had an eventful Christmas. Dad woke up with a fever Christmas morning. That did not stop him from showering us with gifts and praise around the beautifully lit Christmas tree. He did not want to miss the family gathering at John and Laura's, so he insisted on taking some Tylenol and going. We had a nice lunch, but dad obviously did not feel well. Mom took him home early. His temp spiked, resulting in a Christmas trip to the ER. His temp rose to 103.1, and he was having pain and fatigue. Anything over 100.5 is considered alarming in dad's current condition.

His labs looked pretty good at the ER, which was encouraging since his WBC count was down to 2.0 at his oncology visit Tuesday. Because his labs were within the normal range and there was no obvious source of infection, they admitted him to SE hospital to monitor him and to place him on a continuous flow of broad spectrum antibiotics. I drove mom home and Tim spent an uncomfortable Christmas night in a luxurious pull out plastic covered chair in dad's corner "suite." Impressive was the bright yellow bathroom in the "suite." I was reading in this morning's paper that yellow is making quite a comeback in 2009. Evidently Southeast Hospital is quite en vogue.

He was feeling much better on Friday, and even better on Saturday. However, his WBC went from 4.8 on Thursday to 3.4 on Saturday, and this morning were down to 2.9. This is not an overly concerning level, but it is concerning that the level continues to drop. RBC are hovering at 9ish, so they may want to give him a blood transfusion next week.

The doctor was in this morning and told us all of the cultures came back negative, which is great. Though, we still don't know what caused the fever and associated symptoms. They are discharging him today; so he is thrilled. We just need to monitor his WBC....so, as much as dad loves everyone coming by for visits...if you have a cold or have been around anyone with the flu or other illness, please call him rather than dropping by. (He won't like it that I wrote that...sorry Dad....just being protective).

Don't feel bad that we spend part of Christmas in the hospital. We had a wonderful Christmas eve. We cooked and baked, watched A Christmas Story, played games, relaxed, ate, ate, and ate. It was truly what a holiday should be. It was a treat for us all to see Benjamin really get into the Christmas spirit. He exercised his true right to toddlerhood by getting into absolutely every shiny, wrapped, glittery, sweet Christmas treat he could get his little fingers on....including peanut butter fudge.....which nearly gave his nutritional nazi of a mother a stroke.

Mom taught Ben all of the names of the characters in the nativity. It's so sweet...instead of Mary and Joseph, Ben says, "Baby Jesus mommy" and "Baby Jesus daddy." Once, when mom was "quizzing" him on the characters, he pointed to a wise man and said, "Baby Jesus daddy"......we all agreed that he was trying to start quite the scandal!!

Children are the best type of medicine, and dad agrees that being around Ben makes him feel better. We brought Ben up to dad's hospital room. He tried to "bounce bounce" on the hospital bed, but was very disappointed in the firmness of the mattress....but not nearly as disappointed as dad, I'm sure. I'll try to post a video later.

We will go see Dr. Sorscher, dad's oncologist, Tuesday. He will complete another CBC and determine if he can get a gemzar treatment and if he needs a transfusion. As of Tuesday, the plan was to get three more gemzar treatments, then to get another CT scan. We're not sure if the events of the last few days have changed the course of the treatment/scans or not.

As always, dad tries to stay as positive as possible. However, even the most optimistic soul could not escape at least a little blow given the most recent circumstances. To be very honest, this disease is cruel and devastating and creates symptoms, emotions, and circumstances that no one should have to endure. Having said that, there are blessings to be found in every experience. We realize that there people suffering more and suffering less, but that God is with us all. We realize that time is the most valuable human resource. We realize that some paths are completely unpredicted and unappealing, but the direction is not ours to choose. It's easy for me to make these observations because I am not in the hospital bed. I might feel differently if I were. Perspective is everything.

I'm rambling....we are so humbled by the continued outpouring of love, support, and prayers. We are so deeply grateful for every single prayer, every single card and visit, and every single piece of peanut butter fudge.

Happy New Year to all of you.
Love,
Angie

December 4, 2008

Just a quick update...Dad received his first gemcitabin treatment Tuesday, following two weeks off. Having the break last week allowed dad to enjoy Thanksgiving without experiencing as many side effects of the chemo. He has continued taking Tarceva daily (the chemo drug he takes orally). However, its associated side effects are not nearly as debilitating as those imposed by the gemcitabin.

He will have treatments the following three weeks and will receive another CAT scan the week after Christmas.

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday season. Take care.