End of a good week

Today is Monday. Since I skipped my Chemo treatment last week today is the last "good" day for awhile. I go back tomorrow for my treatment and to find out if I get to skip next week or go on for three more in a row.
It was really nice having last week off. I felt great all week and was able to go shopping, attend a meeting with Ionosoft, go out to eat twice and helped clean the house. To help the days after my next treatment I will be taking IV bags home and infusing myself. I believe that I suffer more pain due to dehydration. At the very least I will either confirm this theory or disprove it this week.
It was nice having David back in town, too. I ask my prayer warriors to include Carrie Ford, David's Fiance', in your prayers. She goes in today for an Ultrasound test. I pray that all goes well with her and that her Doctors are able to discover and relieve the source of her discomfort. I also include a list of those I pray for along with their medical conditions:
Wayne Whitten - Recurrence of cancer after years of remission.
Mike McFate - Renal failure and is on dialysis. Mike is the same age as David.
Don Laag - my Father-in-law. Don's prostate cancer has returned and he goes back for chryotherapy next week.
Mary Ellen Peters - heart failure and recent implant of pacer/defib.
Cindy Hamiter - For strength and peace as she cares for me and our two children.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

Good lab results

I just got back from SCOA and my labs looked great! My white count went from 1.5 to 10.5, and my hemoglobin went from 9.4 to 11.6. I have this week off from Chemo so all of these should continue to improve. My next Chemo visit will be next Tuesday.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

No treatment today

Today I was scheduled for my 7th of 7 treatments, but my white blood count was too low. Instead, I was given medicines to raise both my hemoglobin and white blood count. Tomorrow I go back to have blood drawn to see if these indicies are responding. If so, my next treatment will be next Tuesday. Otherwise, I guess I will be given more blood.
I feel fine. I still tire easily, but I have better control over my pain and have adopted the plan to take dilaudid before my meals. Also, Dr. Mac agreed that I should run in IV fluids for three days following my treatments. Next week I will be taking home five one-liter bags of normal saline. I will run one/day on the day after, and two a day for the next two days.
David and Carrie will be coming to town this weekend! I am so happy that they both will be able to come this time. I am also happy that this weekend should be a good one since I will be skipping this week's treatment. Cindy has been looking forward to a "good weekend" for a long time. Since these post-treatment weekends seem to have become worse I too look forward to a weekend with less pain and nausea.
I will drop in another post tomorrow after I learn the results of the lab tests. So stay tuned; same bat time. Same bat channel!

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

Back in the Hospital already

After just getting out of the hospital on Friday I had to return early Sunday morning. After supper Saturday evening I began having pain and nausea. Despite treating it with multiple doses of Dilaudid the pain became so great that I had to get to the ER and be treated with IV meds. Cindy called her brother and soon Kyle, Lynn and Hunter were at our house to watch our kids while we drove to PHB. After a two hour wait I finally got 2mg of IV Dilaudid and began to return to normal again. The ER Doc had spoken with the Oncologist on call and I was to be admitted. Dr. McElveen was on vacation this weekend and would be back at work on Tuesday. Until then I was to receive IV fluids, rest up and treat my pains as they came along. Tuesday I am scheduled to get the last of the first seven treatments of Gemzar. I don't know at this point whether I will get that here at PHB or be released in time to get it at SCOA.
There are a couple of theories on what the cause of my pain might be. One is that since the pseudocyst is sealed and there is no place for the alamase and lipase to go that pressure is building up in the pancreas and is causing pancreatitis type pain. Another is that there is adhesions that is causing the pain. And I have also postulated that I am dehydrating down to the point that there isn't enough fluids left in my gut and I am getting constipated. I like the last on best and will be asking Dr. McElveen about running a liter of saline every day for three days following my Chemo sessions. I have also noticed that I have pain following a meal, so I will begin premedicating myself before a meal to help avoid this.
Well, it is Monday evening and I hope to be home tomorrow. Dr. Mac will decide what time I get out of here, but I am more interested in how we will be handling my pain. I think between Dr. McElveen and I we can come up with a good plan that will keep me out of the hospital.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

Let us all together praise our LORD

I am home again and my drain has been removed! I know that so many prayers have been lifted up for me for this reason and now we can rejoice together and thank God through our Savior Jesus Christ that He has placed His healing hand upon me and granted me this relief. Amen
While in the Hospital I was given two units of whole blood. The Chemo had knocked my hemoglobin down to 8.5 (Normal is around 12 to 15). I feel MUCH better now! I also was able to have a Chemo session while in the Hospital so I am still on schedule for this seven part treatment. Next Tuesday I go for the last of the seven treatments, take a week off, then resume with three more treatments. The week off is to give my body a break and regain the blood components damaged by the Chemo drug. Practically every valuable measurement of your blood is damaged by the Gemzar; hemoglobin, White blood count, platelets, etc. Since I just received two units of blood I will probably be in really good shape after my week off, comparably.
I also want to thank those that have given fiancially to help me and my family. I wish that I could meet each of you and thank you face-to-face as many of you that gave a gift I have never had the pleasure of knowing. Today I know of you not so much for your gifts, but for the loving kindness with which it was given. God bless each of you! You have my thanks and that of my family.
I feel that I have turned a corner in my cancer treatment now that the drainage has stopped and the drain that had so changed my life has been removed. I don't know what is ahead of me, other than the sureness that I go ahead with your prayers and in the grace of our LORD. Therefore, I go ahead bravely.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

Back in the Hospital

Well...I'm back in the hospital again. After my ER trip this Sunday my pain returned and was nearly as great as it had been on Sunday on Tuesday. When I arrived for my Chemo visit my temperature was 100.2. Dr. McElveen met with me and said he wanted to admit me. I told him that the drain had stopped and my thought was that the drainage might be building up somewhere inside my belly causing the pain. "Dr. Mac" thought it might be peritenitis. I went to the hospital and the CT Scan was repeated. It was the same as the one done last Friday, so the drainage really had stopped. I think the pain is from the pressure inside the pancreas. Today I am pain free. I will have my Chemo session here while still admitted.
I got to see many of the folks that have been hard at work praying for me and I need to apologize for not mentioning the folks in the EKG and Echo departments. These guys have done so much for me personally and for my family and I don't want their contributions to go unrecognized. Thank you!!!!
I go home tomorrow. I hope that my next trip here will be for visiting - not as a patient. I do hope that my drain will be removed soon and I will be able to return to work soon. Thank you all for your prayers. God bless each and everyone of you.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

A minor setback

Following this last Chemo treatment I experienced a prolonged period of queasiness. This all got worse as pain accompanied the nausea. This pain was at least as bad as any I had ever experienced and I was also vomiting. Cindy called the on-call Doctor for oncology and we were directed to go to the ER. If you have seen the movies "Alien" I will compare my pain with that of those unfortunate souls in the movie that have one of those critters coming out of their bellys. The bad part was that I couldn't keep the pain medications down to treat the pain. Elaine Senn, one of Cindy's work buddies, was called in to take care of Lydia & Austin while we went to the Hospital.(Thank you!)
We arrived at PHB ER at 1:45am and while Cindy filled out paperwork I writhed in agony. We finally got into the treatment area around 2:30am. Once the IV Dilaudid was administered I got the relief I needed. They also gave me 3 liters of Saline because I was so dehydrated. This is something I need to take better care of.
We left the hospital around 8:00am and relieved Elaine. I am still having some pain, but the nausea has subsided. I think I may have allowed myself to become dehydrated enough to cause a slight impaction. This is an easy thing to do with the pain meds, Chemo meds, and anti-nausea meds all being constipating. Another thing I have observed is that I become "burned-out" on beverages after awhile. The challenge becomes having enough variety so as to avoid the burn-out.
For now we're back home and doing better and armed with better information and with a better plan for my maintenance. My prayer warriors are asked to keep up the good work. I too am keeping each of you in my prayers, and I know that God hears and answers our prayers.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

On the rebound

Today I had another Chemo session. During the weigh-in I learned that I have gained about 4 pounds! I owe much of this to the enzyme that I am now taking. Since the stuff that my panreas is making is not entering my gut the enzyme does the work of breaking down the fats in my food. Fat gets an undeserved negative conotation in relation to a healthy diet. You need a certain amount of fat and since my cancer's metabolism has eaten up what I had on reserve the added pounds is a very good sign.
My hemoglobin was also slightly improved at 10.4. The Aranesp injections and the Slow-Fe likewise seem to be working.
I want to thank everyone who has raise up their voice in prayer for me. It is obvious that none of these improvements could have occured without the blessing of our LORD and savior, Jesus Christ. Please continue to bring your requests before the throne of grace with every confidence that He will answer.

Your brother in Christ,
Mack

What lies ahead

We met with the surgeon yesterday and reviewed the information from the trip to MUSC. I will have the drainage catheter relocated under CT guidance on the 12th. Then we wait and see.
Today is the first day after Chemo and my tummy is realy messed up. Likewise, my taste buds are limited to a narrow band of flavors. Jack Ballentine, a member of Hope Lutheran Church, will be by today to keep me company. He and Linda, his wife, have volunteered to do this during my worst days at home. I think I'll send him out to pick me up some ice cream and a Big Mac for lunch.
Dr. Hawes had prescribed an enzyme that will help breakdown the fats that my pancreas would normally take care of. I have had tummy trouble related to the amount of fats left in my stool and I am hoping that this new medicine will relieve this. I also hope that I get the nutrional benefits and possible weight gain from this, too. I now weigh 160lbs. While David was in town everyone commented how much we look alike, and with my now gaunt appearance I agree.
I stopped by the Cath Lab yesterday for a brief visit and to thank everyone for the amazing Christmas gifts given to us. They even came by on Christmas Eve and assembled those gifts that needed assembly. Lydia and Austin were in hog's heaven Christmas morning! Thank you so much!

Dealing with depression

We had looked ahead to January 2nd and the visit to the Medical University Hospital at Charleston with much anticipation. Dr. Hawes, the noted expert of endoscopy, had been touted as the Guru that could correct the pseudocyst that continued to drain now months past my attempted Whipple. I have now worn a drainage bag that collects the amalase secreted from the pseudocyst for over a month. You may remember that the bags needed to collect this drainage were donated by Marty Bridges (Thank you, again!)
Well, the visit to Charleston was much less than expected. I have undergone four ERCPs and an EGD, so I am familiar with endoscopic procedures. At this facility I was not anesthetized deeply enough and vainly tried to communicate this to the team. The result was a very uncomfortable experience that I do not want to undergo again. Afterwards, Dr. Hawes met with Cindy and I and told us that rather than he fix anything that he felt that time might be a better healer, or at least create something that really needed to be fixed, such as an infection. He felt that since the pseudocyst had shrunk in size that it would likely continue to do so and perhaps moving the drain might be the only intervention needed at this time.
What I had expected was not to be; I would go home with that damned bag attached to me. The golden nugget in it all is that the pseudocyst is getting smaller. I pray that in time that it stops draining. For now, it drains about 100-125ccs/day. Dr. Hawes said that if it gets down to 30-40ccs/day the drain could likely be removed. I look forward to that day with every fiber of my being.
Tomorrow I go back for more Chemo, so I'll likely have a rotten Friday and Saturday. I hate being in this funk, but that's life with pancreatic cancer sometimes.