Strike Through Cancer!

Yesterday I told you guys that this week MD Anderson is celebrating SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS. 

One of the activities is providing a graffiti wall so we can express ourselves.  Very cool idea!  

And you know I can't pass up a chance to take pics of my SURVIVOR!

Ding! Round 4!

Today is the beginning of chemo Round 4!  

Bloodwork this morning indicated that all levels and counts are good and mostly within normal ranges.

So chemo is on schedule today and going very well.

My hero is pretty tuckered out!  I've had a heck of a time getting him to slow down.  I'm super excited that he wants to do all the things he usually does, but thankfully the doctor asked him to slow down!

His exhaustion is the biggest complaint right now, but he is also having some lingering radiation issues.  Namely, more exhaustion and some swallowing complaints.  His esophagus is sore and irritated.  Additionally his shortness of breath is still problematic.

New (or should I say, back) is his deep, painful cough.  The doc did prescribe a cough suppressant; hopefully it helps.

This might all sound like complaining, but it's not!  It's just an update, because I know you care!

The hospital is all decked out to celebrate SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS!  It's pretty cool and makes us feel extra taken care of!   

Thanks for checking on Bert and me!

Love y'all!

A big thank you!

Oops, my first attempt at uploading video, HOPE IT WORKS!

It only took me a few DAYS to figure out!

Here is Albert, celebrating the end of proton therapy by ringing the GONG!!

Congratulations my dear!

Warning! Graphic post!

So I told you guys that radiation treatments are over, YAAAY!!!

It took 7 weeks to complete!  Monday through Friday, every week, for a total of 35, yes 35 sessions!

Some of the early sessions were super late at night, some of the later sessions were super early in the morning.  I think the latest we were there was past midnight and the earliest was at 6 am, but the appointments were all throughout the day.  At some points they were giving him a new schedule daily.  They make things happen for all their patients and so are very accommodating when other appointments run long or test results go crazy!

I think the longest appointment was about an hour, maybe a little longer.  That was the first one.  They needed to make sure the forms were all in place and that everything was lined up.  He was beamed with the laser twice, and at some points three times, per session.  I think the fastest session was 15 minutes!

Albert's treatment area was large.  It started as a mild sunburn and eventually turned into this, crispy, peeling, hot mess!

The white sphere taped to his chest helps with identification/location of the tumor and placement of the beam, as well as a marker for the x-rays.  Albert says it hurts like walking with a marble in your sock.  It created an intense pressure point, pain, and eventually numbed the nerves into accepting it.  OUCH!

We have gone through LOTS of oils and lotions trying to keep his skin moisturized and healing.  Vitamin E oil, aloe vera gel, tea tree oil, intensive cracked skin healer, aveeno intensive therapy, and finally, zimrub!  Finally, something I thought was "healthy" enough, and he actually agreed to wear because it was less 'greasy'.

I went against the doctors on this one, and pretty much stomped my foot with Albert.  But in the end, it paid off.  The radiation oncologist could not believe how good his skin looked and was surprised by the end that his skin was surprisingly in good shape.  Apparently at his level of treatment, the intensity of the beam usually creates a much more severe burn.  (Yay, vitamins and natural oils!)

It still looks pretty painful to me.  Eventually, it will all peel, like this:

The staff at the proton center was very sweet and helpful! 

Some of the smiling faces that got us through belonged to:

Deborah

Dexter

Jay

Jeri

Bailey

Stephanie

Sun 

And one lady tech, whose name is escaping him! (She was transferred to main at the very end)

You guys rock!

Thank you! From the bottom of our hearts!

Chemo, Round 3!

Wow!  Time has flown by!

Bert starts week 8 in the morning.  Chemo only, for three days.  (Cycle 3 of 5).

Yep, you heard right!

Looks like the last time I blogged, we were headed to a great Easter weekend.  It was busy and fun and relaxing, and stressful!

Bert's treatments for radiation are all over!!!!  YAY!!!!

I will elaborate later this week and get everybody caught up on our crazy busy lives!

Thanks for keeping up with our journey!

TGIF!!!

Yay!  It's Friday!  Bert's got proton therapy this morning and then we are hitting the road!  We can't wait to get home and cuddle with these two babies!

Also being Easter weekend, we hope to spend time with family and friends and relax.  Hopefully this weekend will also be filled with Nascar and on demand shows we've missed this week!

Chemo Round 2 is outta here!!!!

So far so good with the motion sickness, but I'm proud of Bert for taking his meds more proactively instead of waiting until he needs them.

If anybody is still in town, we'd love a visit, I think Bert is starting to miss your smiling faces.  God knows he's seen lots of mine and Jakes mean mugs this past few weeks!

Lots of love!  (((((Hugs)))))

Still Truckin'

This guy has been incredible!  He's feeling good, just gets tired easily, but other wise is not in pain.  He has been tolerating small meals well, and is in very good spirits.  He's been sleeping OK, and tolerating my driving, better than usual.  The motion sickness may kick in again with the trip home, but so far, so good!

I on the other hand have been having RA flares like crazy and have been taking every opportunity to catch some zzz's.  In waiting rooms, in hospital recliners, stiff chairs, pretty much anywhere that I'm sitting for more than 5 minutes idle, the sleep button kicks on.

On Monday Bert's primary oncologist said that he was VERY pleased with how well he is tolerating the treatments.  Every patient is different, so three weeks into therapy, Albert is doing awesome!  

He is having the normal skin changes associated with the radiation and hair loss from the chemo.  The nausea has been minimal and his strong reaction to the nupogen shots to the abdomin are very normal.  Only now has his throat become a little scratchy if he eats rough foods.  So more side effects are more than likely still to come, but as a whole, my guy has been a real trooper!

The two lingering and obvious questions are: is it working? And when will we know?

Patience and time will tell.

Once his treatments are complete (currently scheduled for May 9th), he will come back to Houston for more scans and tests to see what's up.  But even those tests will take place a few weeks after treatments.

Both chemo and radiation he is receiving are in extremely high doses and are said to be "aggressive" therapies, so the doctors are hopeful.  

We choose to be hopeful too!

Thanks for stopping by the blog, keeping up with Albert's progress, and showing so much support for our family.