Day 2

Good Morning all,
Harry is doing very well at home. He was able to eat a few soft things yesterday and he seems to be swallowing better everyday. He threw up right after we got home but has been able to hold everything else down so far. He was sitting downstairs when I got home from work yesterday and we sat up until 930pm. He begins seeing doctors again next week and the following week. At some point he will need to have surgery to put a port back in for the next round of chemotherapy but I think we are at least 3 weeks away from that. We celebrated Harry's 60th Birthday and our 10th anniversary during his 21 days in the hospital but he is clever enough to have had the jewelry store deliver my gift to him at the hospital so that he could give it to me there. Thank you all again for your prayers, we have come through another challenge with flying stars.

Mona

Harry is Home

I will update with more information later but I brought Harry home from the hospital late last night.

Mona

Fabulous News....................

Harry is making progress in leaps now - not just baby steps. In the last few days he has eaten Taco Bell, Bud's Broiler and Krispy Kreme oh yeah and some hospital food. He really is not eating enough to sustain him so we are adding Glucerna and Pudding to his diet. We were also told this morning that he has 4 more days of antibiotics and then depending on his eating and pain we should get to go HOME!!!!!!! Today is day 19 and he is finally talking about missing being at home. So thank you again for keeping us in your prayers, we could not have survived this round without you.

Dr. Black also told us he would give him a break from the hospital before we start chemo again. Yesterday - they put a PICC line in his arm and took the IV out. They can use it to give him his chemo. So again thanks...

Mona

Very Good Night

Harry had a very good night. He was able to eat a few things so they are changing his liquid diet to a soft foods diet. The endoscopy yesterday went well. They confirmed that there were no strictures and spasms, he simply has a very bad case of esophagitis. It will just take time for him to heal. The healing was considerable from last Friday to yesterday. He is drinking without straws - and that is great. He ate a few bites of scrambled eggs, hash browns and a bite of bacon for breakfast this morning. They have called in a neurologist to see him about the shaking in his leg and hands - it is much better but while we are in the hospital - he just as soon check it out. So now we have to see how the eating goes, how much longer he needs antibiotics and then readdress the bard port and whether it will go in before we leave the hospital or later. Yes I think we can finally see him going home - probably next week.. so the light is at the end of the tunnel I think. He did have a coughing spell this morning but he was not in excruciating pain when it happened. It hurt a little after but they were bringing him his pain medication when I left. So I am very hopeful.

Mona

Another Procedure

Harry is going to have another endoscopy today to see what is going on down his throat now that they know he can go all the way through. That should happen later this afternoon probably around 2pm. He will be without a central line or port for at least a day or 2 while they re-clear up the infection they cleared up last week. So he will be on a lot of antibiotics for a while longer. During this procedure today they may also doing a procedure like an angioplasty to widen his throat if there are any strictures. But we won't know where we are headed until they complete the procedure today. Also if the infection clears up completely they may take him back to surgery to re install a port.

So as usual we are in a holding pattern.

Thanks again for everything..

Mona

Surgery Went Great

Harry had surgery this morning to remove his bard port. When they removed it they found liquid around it and they are doing a culture to see if it was causing the infection. I am not sure how we move forward from this - but the surgeon - told me about a couple of things they could do but putting a port back in the same place is not an option at least right now. He was resting comfortably with his cousin sitting with him when I left around 1pm.

As for the swallowing and pain, it is still pretty bad and at some point this week they will be doing another endoscopy to find out what else is going on besides the swelling from the esophagitis that was caused by the 35 radiation treatments. They told me today that not only is his esophagus is swollen but he is also having spasms in the lower portion of the same. He was however able to eat some pudding last night without choking and it was actually easier than the water he has been drinking.

We have no idea how long this is going to take, whether or not he will have another port put in or just a central line. We do know they are saying he won't go home until he can eat. So pray for all of this swelling to go away. He is in remarkable spirit for all he has been through and that helps me get through the day.

Thanks to all of you for your concern, love and prayers.. we appreciate all of them. I will post more when I know more..

Love to all

Mona and Harry

Update

We may not be removing the port..They may also be re- doing the endoscopy they did this morning. I will know more on Monday. Until then we are in a holding pattern.

Mona

Friday, October 17th

Hello all,

Harry's esophagus is almost completely swollen shut. They had to use a pediatric tube to look. They have no idea how he ever got any food down. Also he now has a staff infection in his blood so they are going to have to remove his port. Give him just fluids until they can rid him of the infection and then they will put the port back in so they can begin feeding him again, they have not said anything about a stomach tube yet but he will be here for a while until he can feed himself. I will update the blog later with more information. But his spirit is good. So look for more later

Mona

Thursday, Oct 16th

Harry is having a procedure in the morning to see if they can find out why his pain is still so predominant. It should be short and sweet and maybe we can finally get some answers as to what is going on.

Say your prayers tonight - that they figure this out and have a solution.

Mona

After Lunch, Oct. 14th

I just got back from the hospital and have a little more information. As you all know when this started Harry's disease was very advanced (Stage 3B, the next stage is 4 which is the most difficult to work with). So all the symptoms are just that, they are from the disease itself, the medications, the radiation therapy and the chemo. But in his last blood work they did find an infection somewhere and he is now on an IV antibiotic and let's hope that regulates his temperature and as long as he is being fed IV - his blood sugars will be high. He is having a little trouble today eating but we are not going to give up trying. Anyway - that is the latest - I will post again in a day or two.

Mona

Tuesday, Oct 14th

Some Good New! Harry was able to eat a little at lunch and dinner yesterday. He did say it was backing up a little this morning... I hope that is just because he is not used to eating anymore and that it will lessen as the days go on. They are having a terrible time regulating his blood sugars because of the TPN, which I think is leading to the sweating problem, however we made it through the night before we had to change the bed. He showered this morning - so that was good. Yesterday they also did a CT Scan of his brain and another chest xray. The scan we believe was because since Sunday his left leg and hand have been shaking - not consistently but he is not controlling it, I do not have the results at this time - being at work all day I miss the doctors. Dr. Black did go by yesterday and told him not to plan on going home soon. I am not sure what that means but hopefully a doctor will pass one day when I am there.. Anyway that is the latest. Thanks again for all the prayers.

Mona

Monday, October 13th..

Harry is still in the hospital. He has good days and bad. He had a bad day on Saturday and a good morning and afternoon yesterday but last night was a little different. He was sweating quite a bit and we changed the bed out several times. We're not sure what is causing this but maybe when the doctor comes back today we'll get some answers.

He did have a great afternoon, his mother, cousins, sister and brother in law and some very dear friends came by for a visit. He really enjoyed the company.

Well, that's it for now.... I will update more after the doctor passes today.

Mona

Friday, October 10th

Harry is doing well in the hospital. They are still feeding him intravenously and they are taking blood everyday and adjusting his nutrients. He is now drinking with more success but the jello at lunch had fruit in it and it went down but not so easy. He put 2lbs back on from the 32 he lost. He was able to take a shower this morning. But we are not rushing his leaving the hospital. He has talked to his doctors about staying until he really can eat. I suspect we may be in the hospital until next weekend but I am not sure. I will update again after the weekend.

Mona

Wednesday, Oct 8th

Harry had a very good birthday - even though it was in the hospital and he could not eat his cake. Thanks to everyone one who called, you really made his day. Thanks to all those who visited, he really enjoyed your company. Mike & Jan - you really made it special.

Well, this morning they started him on IV food, they did not want to put a feeding tube in they said it was only another site that could get infected so they are feeding him through the port where his chemotherapy is administered. I saw him at lunch and he was in a very good mood, he even said he felt the food in his stomach already. I do not know how long we will be in the hospital but I am assuming it to be about a week.

He also was able to swallow some water without choking - and that is a miracle. Anyway I will update with more in a day or two.

Thanks for the prayers..

Mona

Monday, Not so good

Harry is back in the hospital. He has not eaten since last Thursday night and is having an extraordinarily difficult time swallowing. The pain is mostly gone but even water is difficult to swallow. So for now we are back at hospital.

He has not seen the doctor yet today but I will update blog tomorrow when I have more information.

Mona

Friday, October 5th

Harry is still doing good. He has completely eliminated one of the pain medications - and is not in constant pain. He is more alert when awake than he has been in a long time. But he is resting, as he calls it, most of the day.

The big day is around the corner. He will turn 60 on Tuesday. Still have not decided if we will celebrate now or later - it is a day to day thing.

I think we are getting a lot closer to seeing you out and about. Again thanks for all the prayers.

Mona & Harry

Boy What a Difference A Day Makes

Harry had a very good day yesterday. He completed his radiation therapy and even got a diploma. We also saw Dr. Black, his medical oncologist. Harry will not have any treatments until after October 21st. They want his body to heal. We know for sure that the tumors and lymph nodes have shrunk. We have also been told that the radiation continues to shrink the disease for the next few weeks. So while we are looking forward to the break he does have an appointment with Dr, Jeanfreau on Oct 9th; Dr. Black on Oct 21st and Dr. Monsour on Oct 28th, with a round of blood work on the week of the 14th.

Harry even told me yesterday that Dr. Schuette said knows Harry is getting better because in his experience when women get better they get happy and when men get better they get grumpy (while Harry has not been grumpy - he has returned to having an opinion on everything, including telling me how I have put things in the house in the wrong place).

As for the sweating we were concerned about Dr. Black changed around his pain medication doses and we will see how that works, but he slept in the spare bedroom last night and for some reason - no sweating. Don't know why - but both of us were very happy about that.

He has not been eating as well because it is hard to swallow but like Dr. Black said yesterday - it did not take a week for the swallowing problem to come on so don't expect it to go away in a week.

So don't be surprised in the next few weeks if you see us out and about - that's what I am praying for and the preparation for round 2.

Love to all,

Mona & Harry