Grandpa Update: Complications and the Start of Treatment

It's been a while since I've posted an update.  A long while actually (which means this will be a long one.  Just warning you now.)  My family hasn't wanted vast details posted on the internet and I hate thinking about my Grandpa going through this all so I've just been holding off.

I gave an update a while ago, but after over three weeks in the hospital, Grandpa was FINALLY released.  He faced a few issues that kept holding up his discharge such as the drain that just wouldn't stop draining (a quick, simple surgery fixed the apparent thoracic duct that was cut during surgery), delayed eating, rise in blood counts, etc.  Nothing major but with a surgery so severe and the intensity of his cancer, any small thing was a hold up.
Needless to say, he was very excited to get out of the hospital.

Being home was an adjustment but he and Grandma handled it well.  Unfortunately, shortly after getting home (the very beginning of July), he got shingles.  Thankfully, they weren't painful and didn't bother him.  (I think he's just trying to mimic my cancer journey ;)   I went into the hospital to get my portacath put in.  The IV was in, I was just about to go to the OR, when they asked if I had any bruises, cuts, or scraps.  I mentioned that I got bit by a bug and had developed a rash.  Come to find out, it was shingles and surgery {and thus chemo} had to be postponed until it was cleared up.  But mine was like his and we are both fortunate.  No pain, no itching, no discomfort.  Just a nasty rash.)

Grandpa then had to go off his heart medicine for a week to prepare for his feeding tube surgery, which was scheduled for July 16th.  (As you can imagine, blood thinners are not conducive for a surgery.)

That week, July 12th, Grandpa met with his medical oncologist (the ones responsible for chemotherapy).  They have decided to change up his treatment plan.  Originally, Grandpa was going to be hit with a very intense, very debilitating radiation treatment scheduled for five days a week for seven weeks followed by chemotherapy.  Now, they believe the best route is to start with chemotherapy.  This is a very aggressive cancer and they need to try to get any remaining cancer cells in his body (chemotherapy is the intravenous drug that circulates throughout the bloodstream seeking out fast growing cells, such as cancer cells, and destroys them.)  It was determined that Grandpa will start with chemotherapy on July 18th.

Two days later, the 14th, I was at the National Museum of Naval Aviation with Nick's family when I got a call from my brother.  Grandpa was on his way to the hospital because he was having a stroke.  It took everything I had to not buckle at the knees and fall down the IMAX stairs.  I couldn't breathe.  I just wanted to hop on a plane and be by his side.  Was he going to be okay?  How much would he suffer from this?  How would this affect him physically?  Especially with already having so many issues on the left side of his body?  What if this greatly affects his mobility?  Strokes can have awful effects.  How would this affect him emotionally?  He just seems to keep getting pummeled by complications.  At some point he'll break, right?  What if it's now?  What if he loses his strength and decides this is too much and he gives up?  This can't happen.  I had so many questions and it's so hard to not be there and get updates via text message.  Thankfully my amazingly awesome cousin, Teeny, text my siblings and I updates every 5 minutes for the next hour plus.
Thankfully, shortly after getting to the hospital, his stroke started to reverse itself and he was starting to regain the feeling on his left side.  It was the best text I got all day.  He underwent a few tests to see how severe the stroke was, or if it was another TIA like back in the spring.
As always, Grandpa recovered from this like a boss.  And he's still in amazing spirits!!!!  We also found out the cause of the stroke.  Essentially, him going off his heart medication in preparation for the feeding tube caused the stroke.  It, for lack of better terms, (this is how the doctor explained it to us), branched off from the older TIA.  The doctor described it by saying the brain will give off TIA symptoms because it is an addict in withdraw and is missing it's drug, aka his heart medicines.  It was good to know the cause but we were worried that it would continue to happen.
Thus, they decided to keep him off his heart medicine and keep his feeding tube surgery so we don't have to chance this again (because he needs this feeding tube.)
Thankfully, Grandpa was discharged from the hospital the day after the stroke....because he's such a strong determined man.  And then the very next day, the 16th, he went in to the hospital, again, this time to get the feeding tube put in.

That surgery went smoothly.  Quickly and smoothly.  Thankfully.  It seems to be the very first thing to go well (speaking relatively in a medical sense that is) so we're happy about that.  He did have to stay overnight for observation but we knew that weeks before this so that wasn't any new change.  The next day he was out and I'm sure Grandpa was happy to not see that hospital bed for a while.

The next day, July 18th, Grandpa went in for his very first chemo treatment.  His treatment plan is as follows:
He'll have treatment on Thursday, get the next two Thursdays off, and return again.  After two chemotherapy treatments, they will perform a scan and see if the cancer has grown.  If it has grown any, then we know his cancer is not responding to treatment and chemo will end there and he will go straight into radiation.  If the cancer has not grown, he will continue with chemo for another two treatments (a total of 4) and then start radiation.
The radiation is still going to be very intense and will still be every day for seven weeks.  It's going to knock him out pretty badly.  They suspect he'll lose about 30ish pounds and eating will become a very difficult task for him seeing as radiation is going to completely fry his esophagus and throat.  (I experienced this same thing and it was horrendous.  I only had the bottom of my esophagus radiated and even that was unbearable and I was unable to eat.  It was just insanely excruciating pain.  I dropped from 120 pounds to 100 pounds, which is obviously not ideal when you're 5'8".)

Chemo lasted about 3ish hours and he did well.  He didn't really feel anything while there.
I called him that afternoon and spoke with him and he sounded great!!!!  I called the next day and he was still feeling and sounding great!  He said he hasn't experienced any side effects of the therapy which is great!  In time, he might start feeling weak and he will lose his hair in about 14 days, but thus far, things are great!!!!  Medicine has advanced so much and hopefully with his intravenous anti-nausea meds in conjunction with his pill form to take at home, he won't experience any sickness.  (I didn't get sick too often.  I would get waves of nausea but I never actually threw up because I had some awesome medicine!  Thank you scientists, research and all that donate to it!!)



I want to thank my friends and family who've continued to text, email, and call me check on Grandpa (I do apologize for the lack of updates) and on myself.  It truly means the world to me to know that my Grandpa has remained in your thoughts and prayers.  PLEASE keep praying for him.  His road is only going to get worse and eating is becoming more of a difficult task for him.  He needs to continue to eat food and not just rely on his feeding tube to keep his strength up and beat this awful disease.  So please, please, please keep praying for him!


As for me, I'm doing okay.  Right before the stroke I hit a rough patch.  Grandpa and I talked and he asked me lots of questions about treatment, life with cancer, and life after cancer.  It broke my heart.  I do this a lot.  I have and continue to help so many people with this.  I've talked with so many people about these exact same issues and concerns.  But when it's your own Grandpa?  Your own Superhero?  You don't ever expect to be trying to ease your hero's fears and concerns.  I was happy to do it and I know I helped him a lot, but it was difficult.  It was difficult to hear the fear about side effects of treatment.  It broke my heart to hear him ask me when he would feel normal again.  It wasn't so much his question that hurt, but that I knew I was about to give him the answer he didn't want.  That he would never feel normal again.  His life, like mine, has changed.  A lot.  And will continue to.  Our bodies have changed.  It's affected us mentally.  I tried to ease his mind that he'll soon find his new normal and in time, he'll forget what his old normal was.  I will admit, I still long for my old life at times.  It was simpler.  Filled with less worry, fear, discomfort, and pain.  But I find myself thinking, "I don't even remember what _____ was like?"  He'll get to that point.  It sucks that the new normal is not a pleasant one.  And for him, he had his normal for 83 years, whereas I only had mine for 21 years.  I was still learning and growing.  Grandpa will have a harder adjustment.  But he can do it.  I'm confident in that.  Thankfully, he took our conversation well, like he does everything.  By the end of it, the fear had left his voice.  He was optimistic again and ready to fight the world!!!  And that is the reason he's my Superhero.  His moments of fear and concern only last a short while and then they're gone.  That is why I know he can tackle this.  He can and will win this fight!!!!