Backstory on Daddy

As most everyone knows Matt has had Crohn's Disease since 1990. In August of 2008 we moved out of our home in Angwin to go for my first real RN job in Merced, CA.
Matt's health began to deteriorate as we were getting ready to move. Tired all the time etc. still he did the move almost single-handedly. Before we left the Napa Valley Matt requested a consult with a GI specialist at UCSF. In October 2008 we met with Dr. "T". After a colonoscopy in November in which the doctor discovered active Crohn's, Matt was recommended to try a drug called Humera. It is concidered a great treatment that might make him feel a great deal better. After fighting with insurance (it costs 8K for just 2 treatments!) I gave him the first treatment at home on 1/23/09. The next day he began spiking 103 fevers and having really bloody stools. After fighting with him for 2 days I finally took him to the ER at my hospital in Merced. The docs there were sure that it was a severe Crohn's flare. As it turns out the Humera causes a drop in the patients white blood count. After a week of increasingly strong antibiotics (that didn't work) he was still spiking the fevers and was sent to UCSF for possible bowel surgery. After being admitted to UCSF Mt. Zion hospital on 2/3/09, a really good accident happened, one of the doctors accidentally ordered a chest CT in addition to the abdominal we were expecting. The chest CT showed nodules in his lungs, liver and spleen so he was transferred to the "big" UCSF hospital for a bronchcoscopy. At that time, seeing how the antibiotics weren't working, they figured it to be a fungal infection and after a 3-day stint in isolation for possible TB (stupid!), the bronch showed nothing. A fine needle biopsy was done on a lymph node that had been slightly swollen in his grion near the suspected Crohn's flare area just to look at it. 2 days later we were given the news that the biopsy results showed cancer. More specifically Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The lymph node was removed and cut up into a billion tiny pieces and a bone marrow biopsy was done as well. Looking back now so many signs of lymphoma were there....the swollen lymph node, the bed soaking night sweats, exhaustion not fixed by iron/blood infusions.

Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts!
Jennifer

FINALLY!

Dad's been moved to the ICU to start the Chemo. Today, they just gave him a huge dose of Prednisone to "see what it does" to his stomach same is schedualed for tomorrow. It might actually bring down his fever, which he's had for 3 weeks. They're injecting in his brain and spine preventatively. They should have him on full doses by Tuesday, just doing trial doses for now, making sure they don't explode his bowels. Baby steps for now.

The R-CHOP Schedual:
P - today (trial dose)
P+C - tomorrow
H+O - Monday
R+CHOP - Tuesday (full doses)


By Tuesday, they should start him on the full Chemo. He's hoping to be home before Saturday, which is Alex's birthday. (and grandpa's! Hi grandpa!)

More updates as they happen!
~~S~~

waiting

Dad's been put on hold once again. He SHOULD start R-CHOP chemo tomorrow afternoon, moving him to the 11th floor of the hospital.
This first part of treatment should take 3-5 days, and will be the most difficult of all the stages.
GOOD NEWS! there was no cancer found in his bone marrow, which should put him at a stage 3 instead of 4.
His groin node was biopsied, and he has diffuse large B-Cell Lymphoma. The stage has not been oficially determined.

more updates as they come!
~~S~~

One Day at a Time

Hey everyone! This is Sam, here to update you on Dad's most recent exploits.

He looks a lot better today, laughing and joking around. He broke his air bed last night! no one knows how, but it took them all day to even get a regular bed in here! Hopefully, they'll put in a new "fancy" bed sometime today or tomorrow. Dad's a little bummed they aren't starting the Chemo today after his episode yesterday, but we all understand. He's finally stable! They're supposed to start the Chemo at some point this week, if he remains so. Does anyone have ideas for a good Chemo Survival Kit? Matt's sense of humor is legendary and we're looking for new ways to keep his spirits up!




I'll have mom write up a summary of what happened before later tonight when she gets bored :)

Till later!
~~S~~