Round 4 - Day 1

Once again we can report that Marty is making slow but steady progress.  Last week he had his feeds stopped during the day; initially from 8am until 2pm and that has gradually progressed to being stopped all day and only running during the night.  The daily oral intake of food does need to be recorded and is monitored by the dietician just to make sure that he is eating enough.

Marty did have a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis last week Friday and we praise God for returning favourable results of this.  The CT scan is clear and nothing further to remark about that.

Marty continues to do well with physio.  There has been some talk about moving Marty to a rehab facility so that he can have more physiotherapy sessions.  As he is also about to start his fourth round of chemo the move to rehab won't happen yet but it is in the works.  The rehab building is on the same property that he is currently at, just a different building.

Just this morning Marty sat in his wheelchair to eat breakfast ~ this was a lot of work for him.  This is the slow and steady progress we continue to witness.  Yesterday he also took 3 steps by himself without the walker and just today he walked the length of a hallway with the walker and then took about 12 steps without the walker and then walked with the walker back to his room.  Again we witness the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father and we are thankful to Him for guiding Marty and Erica through this path.

Last night Marty went for a routine chest x-ray prior to starting the fourth round of chemo.  We anticipate that once his pH level is adjusted he will begin the fourth round of chemo later today.

Psalm 145:3, 17, 18

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; 

his greatness no one can fathom. 

The LORD is righteous in all his ways 

and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, 

to all who call on him in truth. 

Thanksgiving

With thanks to our Heavenly Father we share that Marty continues to do well.

On Monday it was determined, with the help of dye in the PEG tube, that the PEG tube was in the right place in the stomach and it was not leaking into the abdominal cavity, so feeding was started again.  Oral intake of soft solids continues to improve.  Today the Speech Therapist came by with a well rounded sample tray and Marty was able to enjoy some “new” foods.  Sandwiches, soft fruits and other such items will be added to the daily menu.  Treats from home are also being enjoyed; apple pie, pork and beans and tomorrow a promised cupcake!

It was a quiet, extra long weekend, in terms of physio.  Wednesday was declared Walking Wednesday and Marty was up for the challenge. He was able, with the aid of a walker and a therapist on either side (for balance support if needed) to head out of the room, up the hall way and around the corner! Physio these days consists of a daily walk and more time spent sitting in the wheel chair. To strengthen the quad muscles in the legs, Marty is to push himself backwards (when sitting in the wheel chair) with his feet.  It is great to see the improvements in balance and mobility. 

Marty’s liver continues to work hard and the liver enzymes continue to drop.  Of three things they test, one is in the normal range and the other two are well on the way to normal.  We are thankful for this answer to prayers and that the liver continues to do its job well.

Occupational Therapy has encouraged Marty to use his computer to play games and strengthen his fine motor skills.  He is quite enjoying this and hasn’t wasted anytime sending e-mails and skyping with family.  Feel free to send him a message to the following address metoet at gmail dot com.

The Respiratory Therapist, recommended late last week that the trach be removed.  After consulting with the Oncologist, this was done early Thursday morning.  No surgery is required, the tracheostomy tube was removed and replaced with a gauze dressing and taped in place.  This usually heals quickly, within a few days.  During this phase of healing the patient often experiences a loss is speech volume and some leaking of air through the stoma site.

Marty is approaching the “low days” after the recent round of chemo, we pray that he be spared from infection and that we continue to see improvements from day to day.

As family we are thankful for the support of so many in so many different ways, above all we thank you for your prayers.

Hymn 66  Great is Thy Faithfulness

 Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;     

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;     

As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.

     Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!     

Morning by morning new mercies I see;     

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,     

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! 

  

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,     

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above     

Join with all nature in manifold witness    

 To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,     

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,     

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,     

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Erica

Sunday

Marty has completed his third round of chemo and he seemed to do quite well through it. On Thursday the doctor informed us that his liver enzymes were down already after this round of chemo.  They do still have to come down more but we are encouraged that the numbers are down and even lower than they were on Monday prior to starting chemo.  

Marty is on a broad spectrum antibiotic and has not been running a fever for the last few days.  At last report, the blood cultures that they took on Thursday are negative. It isn't uncommon for Marty to get fevers, especially in the later part of the day. The doctors are closely monitoring and treating these fevers. Fevers can be caused by infection but they can also come from the cancer itself.

Marty seemed to have a good day on Saturday, enjoying time with Erica and a game of Rummikub. On late Saturday afternoon, Marty unfortunately suffered a fall from his bed. This placed stress on the PEG tube (his feeding tube) and doctors are uncertain of the placement of this tube - the concern is how much of the tube is in his stomach. For this reason, the doctors have decided to stop his feeds and to only administer necessary medications through the PEG tube. We are thankful that Marty did not seriously injure himself. 

Sunday was also a good day for Marty and he was able and interested in listening to two sermons online.  He also recently enjoyed some time with some out-of-town visitors.         

At times, Marty will eat very little to no food orally, and at other times, he will eat quite a bit. Tonight he ate a bowl cream of wheat and also enjoyed some pumpkin pie, which was good to see. One of the biggest reasons that Marty won't eat or will just eat a small amount of food is because of his swallowing difficulties. Since swallowing can be a challenge, when he is swallowing well, it's wonderful to witness him eating well - as he did today.

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." -- Hebrews 10:36

Wednesday - Round 3

As you can guess from the title of this post Marty started round 3 of chemo last night.  Sometime through the night Marty was given Methotrexate.  His liver enzymes remain elevated, but the oncologist in consultation with the GI (gastrointestinal) team have decided to move forward with chemo treatments despite this fact. Marty and Erica are both at peace with this decision and agree that chemotherapy is the best course of action right now. The doctors suspect that Marty's liver has already been damaged due to the heavy chemotherapy drugs, although this is not necessarily permanent damage.  He did have another liver ultrasound this morning to check that there are no blockages in the blood vessels of the liver. This has come back normal.

Marty has now also been weaned of the Tegretol (antiseizure) medication.  The doctors will continue to monitor his neurological function, making sure he continues to be seizure free.  

He continues to have physio and seems to be getting stronger. Today with assistance he sat on the edge of his bed for a minute, moved to a standing position, lifted each foot several times and sat back down.

We wish Marty the best as he endures round 3. We pray for the desired results of this chemotherapy. 

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -- Mark 11:24