Thursday, May 30, 2013

Making Progress

Thursday May 30th, 2013 Day 34.....

Scotty is continuing to improve on a day by day basis. He goes to the gym each day in the wheel chair. He has been walking between the bars and has now progressed to walking some steps with a walker. Today he set a personal best for walking with a walker down the hall and back 2 times. He is still having issues with his taste buds but has found a few things that taste really good. He enjoys a strawberry shake and a particular type of Peppridge Farm Cookie. He was able to shower on Monday and that was the best part of the day.

The doctors still have not determined the origin of the cancer. The liver biopsy was inconclusive in regards to what type of cancer it is. It just showed the 2 lesions were cancer. So the mystery continues. He is getting better with pain management with the L4 in his spine. There is still pain but they are trying to keep it under control at a low level. At this time no decisions have been made about chemo. We know it is in the future but the doctors have not told us anything. he is still projected to be released from rehab on June 19th.

Noah has learned how to face time Scotty using his IPod touch. This has helped him with the separation from Scotty. He even face timed me the other morning at 2:21 am ! Yes I said am. He wanted to see if it worked in the dark ! We have all gotten a big laugh at that. he had to have 4 teeth pulled the other day and seemed to do okay. His cousin Kristin (my daughter) enjoyed a movie date with him on Monday and he will be in his school play tomorrow. ( We hope he will do it) He still is having issues sleeping and he misses Scotty.

Deborah continues her routine of dropping off Noah and heading up 77 to the hospital each day. She has started taking the weekends off to give her some time at home.

I cannot express enough our deep appreciation for everything everyone has been doing for our family. The meals, gift cards, cards, phone calls, emails, and especially the visits to see Scotty have been so great. We cannot thank you enough. As I close tonight I will share this verse with you that has been a comfort to me during this time.
2Samuel 22:19  "They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support."
We have felt the Lord's support during this journey and we continue to draw our strength form our Lord and Savior !

Please continue to pray for Scotty to continue to improve with his walking and for Deborah as she travels back and forth to the hospital. Continue to pray for the doctors as they try to decide what treatment is necessary for Scotty. Please pray that Noah will start sleeping better at night and that he gains some understanding about what is going on in his life right now. Changes are very hard for him.

Friday, May 24, 2013

" Working Out In The Gym "

Friday May 24th Day 28 Scotty was able to go to the gym today in his wheel chair . He spent 1 hour and 30 minutes in his chair. He also stood for 10 minutes and took a few steps. I have attached a picture of him working out in the gym today. We are so proud of how far he has come however, the work has just begun. The PT and doctors have told him he must push himself each day and he cannot give up. The preliminary results of the liver biopsy revealed nothing new at this time and we are still waiting for the complete results. The stain slides will take a few more days and hopefully they will reveal the origin. Scotty will continue therapy on Saturday and will take Sunday off. He said he was really tired from his work - out today but will be ready to try more tomorrow ! At this time he is scheduled to have his first shower (since April 26th) on Monday! YAHOO ! The shower in his room comes with a seat and hand held shower. We are all looking forward to this for him !! As far as any more decisions about chemo nothing has been decided and the doctors will not decide this until Scotty is stronger and they have completed every test possible to find the origin. So the diagnosis remains CUP....Carcinoma of the liver and spine of unknown primary origin. I posted this in an earlier blog and it still has not changed.

Deborah is doing as well as to be expected at this time. She is very tired at night and we are so thankful for the help she has received from everyone. As summer approaches we will have to put our heads together to establish a routine for Noah as well as make it possible for Deborah to be able to go to the hospital. I told her tonight we will find ways and help to make it all work out. One Day At A Time.

Joyce Meyer stated in her daily devotional guide today that we must place our faith in God and through his power we can do whatever it is we need to do. She defines God's grace as God's power to help us do whatever it is we need to do. Our family has placed our faith and trust in God and we know that God is God, god is good, and God always does what is best for his people.

Please continue to pray for Scotty's strength, Deborah as she travels back and forth to Charlotte, my mom as she continues to help with Noah and for the doctors as they try to decide what is the best treatment for Scotty to fight this ugly disease.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend !


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Scotty Takes A Spin !!!

May 23rd Day 27 !!   I was not going to post tonight but I couldn't wait to report the exciting news of the day. Scotty was able to sit in a wheel chair and go for a little spin outside 2 times today. Each outing was about 15 - 20 minutes and he said it felt so good to go out. He had the girl stop and let him look at the beautiful flowers that were planted outside the Rehab hospital. Praise God and Hallelujah ! He was so excited he had the PT people take his picture and he sent it to Deborah and I this morning.  Scotty also had a surprise visit from the Big Boss Mr. Phillips and that was comforting to him as well. We continue to pray for Scotty's healing and for Deborah and Noah as they adjust to the changes occurring in their lives. Noah has had some up and down days and we all know it is related to these changes. I want to share something with you a NEW friend shared with me this week...She said God will turn our tragedies to triumphs, our poverty to riches, our pain to glory, and our defeat to victory. Keep your heart and mind on things above ! We celebrate this victory tonight with Scotty !!!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Another Test !

May 22, 2013 Day 26...... The past 2 days have been a bit overwhelming for Deborah and Scotty.... Doctors coming and going, PT, OT, Social Workers, .......Nurses.....questions, diagnosis, more talking, more thinking, just a bit tiring and frustrating ! But here is where we are as of tonight !

Scotty had a liver biopsy this morning. They say tissue collected from the liver will reveal more information than the tumor that destroyed the L4 in his spine. Surgery is not an option as they have stuck to that sense day 1. Previous patients with this fracture have had surgery and still had pain. And we still do not have the origin and you don't open up the body when you do not know the origin.

The Hepatitis C is not a factor to worry about. So..... we now wait for the results of the biopsy which can take as long as 3 - 4 days. We are back to making those slides again!!

Now as far as PT and OT Scotty continues to work his arm muscles and leg exercises and he does really well with those. The BIG success today is he was able to sit on the side of the bed for 10 minutes. Yesterday he did two - 8 minutes sessions of sitting on the side of the bed. So as you can see this was a big step. Scotty will always have pain due to the fracture he just has to learn to handle the pain and be able to sit up for longer periods of time. They have agreed to let Scotty remain at the Rehab hospital until June 19th as long as he continues to improve. The PT and OT people are very good at what they do and they are working Scotty very hard to get him to his target date of sitting and walking with a walker.

He continues to have a not so good appetite and we continue to try and find things that might taste better. He had some of his co-workers stop by for a visit tonight and he was so glad to see them. He told me he was turning in early because he was a bit tired from the activities of the day.

Please continue to pray for Scotty , Deborah , and Noah as they continue to go through this journey..........

Matthew 6:34  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. "    We are taking one day at a time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, May 20, 2013

"It's Complicated"

Monday May 20th...Day 24

IT'S COMPLICATED is the words that come to mind after the events of today. Scotty sat on the side of the bed for approximately 1 minute but that was all he could tolerate. "IT'S COMPLICATED" He did really well with  arm therapy doing curls with a body bar and punching at a beach ball. He also completed his leg exercises. Deborah said he seemed a bit tired today and actually fell asleep during one of his sessions. The therapist said she didn't believe she had ever had that happen to her before ! We laughed and thought well you have never had anyone to work with like Scotty either ! Lunch came and he only ate a few bites. Hopefully he ate more at the evening meal. His sister Kathy was bringing him something to eat tonight.

Now for the complication: The doctors today reported that Scotty has Hepatitis C. They retested his blood again to make sure and it came back positive. So now we have another twist to the puzzle. According to the doctors this will have an impact on Chemo. So they are now trying to decide if they need a liver biopsy or not. As I said  "IT"S COMPLICATED"  Tomorrow they are suppose to  meet with Deborah to reveal the plan. As far as Rehab goes his goal is to be able to walk with at least a walker before he comes home.

I have attached a link one of the Oncologist sent Deborah for her to read about Scotty's current diagnosis.  They actually call it CUP...Cancer of Unknown Primary.

http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/unknown-primaryhttp://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/unknown-primary

Please continue to pray for Scotty, Deborah, and Noah..........................

My daily devotion is listed below. I definitely feel we are in a trial !

http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=12869

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Rainy Day In The Big City

Sunday May 19th Day 23 - Bobby and I took off to see Scotty this morning after early Church. The only request he made was for us to bring him a strawberry milkshake. We got him a large one as we got closer to the Hospital and I am happy to report he finished almost all of it. He chose to drink it with his lunch hoping to make the lunch more appealing. Unfortunately the shake won out and he said the meat was too bland.  He was in pretty good spirits but has redeveloped a cough and some chest congestion. He also seemed a bit uncomfortable  but began to settle down once he received his pain medicine. We had another lesson on "THE PAIN SCALE" and I think he may have gotten it this time. Telling the Nurse he needs pain meds and that his pain level is a 1.5 is not the correct analysis !!! He reported to me that OT didn't go as well as he wanted it to yesterday. When he got to his sitting position on the side of the bed the BP shot up so they decided to put him back down and just do his leg and arm exercises. He is really doing well with them and has great strength in both legs and arms. I told him he needed to remember our motto ONE DAY AT A TIME ! If you visit him he likes to show you his exercise routines . I told him he will be good enough to make a video one day !  He continues to have a very warm body temperature. In fact I was wrapped in a blanket most of the visit and it felt like we were in the ARCTIC ! I told him next visit I would come with gloves and a North Face jacket ! LOL !!!

Many of you have asked just what Scotty does for a job. He is a District Supervisor for World Acceptance and has 11 offices he takes care of. Rock Hill, Ft. Mill, York, Gaffney, 2 in Spartanburg, Inman, Chesnee, Boiling Springs,Union, and Lancaster are the towns he covers. As you can see he has always been a man on the go !

I have gotten a text from Scotty this evening stating he will be back in action with OT at 9:00 a.m. Please say a special prayer for Scotty tonight for a successful OT session in the morning. Please continue to pray for Deborah as she tackles things at home with Noah as well as providing support and comfort for Scotty. Pray for the doctors as they make decisions concerning Scotty.

Rick Warren had an excellent devotional this week and I think he was speaking to me. God always knows was best for us and this devotional was a great inspiration to me. I have listed it below and if you have time take a minute to read.

Thanks again for everyone's support and prayers !!!


http://www.purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=12865


Saturday, May 18, 2013

Day 20, Day 21.......PT, OT, Radiation Graduation..........

Thursday May 20 and Friday May 21....... Scotty has been adjusting to the schedule of the Rehab Hospital. He has enjoyed meeting his new nurses, medical doctor and therapist. I think we now have gotten down what PT does and what OT does. All the names can be a bit confusing at times. Who is responsible for what!  Scotty did complete all radiation treatments and was given a certificate of graduation ! He was thrilled to be finished with this process. We now wait for the radiation rays to do their thing on the tumor !

Scotty has made it to a sitting position 2 days in a row and briefly to a wheel chair. However, yesterday the blood pressure jumped up signaling the intense pain is present  and they quickly got him back to bed. The process to get him to the sitting position actually takes longer than the time he stays in the chair. Yesterday Deborah and the therapist had to review the " number" system with Scotty when used to relate PAIN ! 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. With a BP pressure of 187 your pain number is not 4!!  LOL !!!  He so badly wants to sit we think he gets confused.

The dietician paid Scotty a visit asking him about the quality of their food. They had noticed he had lost a good bit of weight so they were concerned. So he was given a good old fashion hotdog, chips, and milk for lunch and said it was quite tasty. He now is encouraged to drink milkshakes and is given a protein shake with his meals. It is not uncommon with radiation to have a change in taste buds or appetite so we will just keep trying to find things that appeal to him.

Today is Saturday,May 18, Day 22 of the JOURNEY  and Scotty will only have one session of PT this afternoon around 2:00. Deborah and Noah will visit Scotty this morning and he is expecting some of his colleagues to stop by as they return from Indianapolis later today. Each year Scotty's Employer honors their Employee's with a Celebration and this is the first year Scotty has missed in many, many years. He was so excited to get pictures some of the colleagues sent him as they traveled to Indianapolis. His company has been so good to him about visits and phone calls. His I Phone Charger has decided to quit working so Deborah is going to take him another one to charge his phone. We thank Apple for such a great device because this is the one thing that keeps Scotty in touch with the outside world and entertained.

As far as me I will travel to see my 3 month old Grandchild today in Sumter and will return to see Scotty tomorrow.I have promised him an "OUT OF HOSPITAL MEAL" !

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers !

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

"Scotty Is On The Move"

Tuesday May 14 -  Sorry I did not have time to post last night. Jacob and I stayed with Scotty for a while and got back a little late. We took Scotty Chick-Fil -A and he was very excited to have something to eat from the outside world ! We had a great visit and we talked about what was going to happen today. He did hear from the radiologist that the tumor appeared to be showing signs of shrinkage. Halleluiah FOR THAT !!!  He continued with PT and OT and had radiation treatment #8.....Now for the GOOD NEWS !!

Wednesday May 15th, Day 19 ........... Scotty has officially changed residency and he is now in the Charlotte Rehabilitation Hospital right beside the Hospital.  YAHOO!!! God is GOOD ! You actually have to park in the same parking deck that you use when visiting the hospital. Deborah and I were so hoping we could be out of the parking deck but nope we will continue to dodge big SUV's and settle for the 3rd deck !! We never get the first floor !! They got Scotty settled in his new room 2306 and met the very nice staff. Scotty said everyone had been very nice to him so far. Shortly after getting settled in they had to take him for radiation treatment #9 . They invited Deborah to go along so off she went with Scotty and 2 newbies !! Well apparently this was quite an entertaining trip for Deborah but I am not so sure Scotty enjoyed the ride. At one point Deborah asked the 2 individuals if they needed a GPS !! They apparently got off on a wrong floor and headed to unknown parts. They finally received some directions and proceeded through a tunnel which led them to the correct radiation room. They sent some more experienced help to retrieve Deborah and Scotty after his treatment and she suggested they give guided tours for the newbies !! LOL !! She also got to watch how the radiation machine works.

Scotty called to tell me tonight he had a nice room with a full bath and a real toilet ! I told him I hoped it was real !! If you could have seen the facilities in his other room you would understand his comment ! He also gave me his schedule. Wanted to make sure I would put it in the Blog.
8:00 - He has speech evaluation - Well I told him I thought he would pass that with flying colors ! Even though they told him when they did the MRI of his head that there wasn't much in there ! (Deborah actually told the Doctor that when they were reporting the negative results)
10:00 - 11:00 OT Evaluation and Bath Evaluation ( I told him they may use a hose to wash him down now )
11:30 - OT Dress  He finally will have real clothes on !! (No more just boxers , preppy hospital gowns or the cute Spongebob yellow footies)
1:00 - PT
1:30 - PT
2:00 - PT

They have him on a pain patch and something by mouth to help control the pain. As you can see he will have a full day tomorrow and he said he is ready. Please pray he can be successful and not get frustrated. He has to practice patience! He will also have radiation #10 !


 As for Deborah she continues to handle things in a Deborah kind of way and is so thankful for what everyone has chipped in to do for her. The meals are fantastic for her and her yard assistance has been awesome.Noah had a play date with Connor Lee this past Saturday and is still talking about the trip.

As I close tonight I have a verse that I think sums up how Deborah reminds us each day on how we are to   approach Scotty's journey !

Matthew 6:34  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. "    We are taking one day at a time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Monday, May 13, 2013

Can't Keep A Good Man Down !

May 13th........ Today started off quite uneventful for Scotty . His radiation was pushed back due to a malfunction and there were no visits from any of the "team doctors".  AND then............PT arrives and tries to start his work-out and as he started sitting up the room began to spin.  They decided to rest and let the room settle. Scotty was thinking this is new and I know I am not on a ride at Carowinds with Noah so I better stop.! Once things settled down he completed his sitting up and was able to stand again taking a few baby steps with the walker. One to the right, back to the middle, and one to the left. OT comes in and teaches him how to position his legs and roll to a sitting position on the side of the bed. Of course he has his brace on when doing therapy and he also receives an injection before PT or OT comes to help with the pain. Scotty was excited to report to me that he completed 2 workouts. He also has been doing his arm and leg work-outs in bed to help maintain strength. He did receive his radiation treatment. 7 down and 3 to go !


They have removed his antibiotic drip and have started giving his antibiotic by mouth. At this time he has no IV line and that he is thankful !

Mother's Day was quite relaxing for Deborah and Noah. Mom, Deborah and I went out for our traditional Mama - Daughter lunch while Jacob stayed with Noah. Later that day  Deborah tackled the shrubbery which I am happy to report she did not scalp them too bad ! Ha ! Ha !

As I close tonight one of my favorite verses comes to mind I will share with each of you

 Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me........

Please continue to keep Scotty, Deborah, Noah and all of us in your prayers.....






Sunday, May 12, 2013

Busy Busy Days

Day 16 ! As of today May 12th Scotty remains on the 9th floor at CMC main. Since my first post many days have past that have been filled with test, consultations, test, more consultations, more test, more test, many miles back and forth on 77, tears, fears, laughter, prayers, anxiousness, and feelings of exhaustion. We have tried to listen to all the medical terminology and grasp what they are actually telling us and at the same time keep Noah's life as normal as possible. At this time Scotty has had MRI's, PET Scans, CT Scans, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, and 6 radiation treatments to his spine. The official diagnosis is Metastatic Carcinoma  of the spine and liver with unknown primary origin. What this means is that all other test have been clear and he shows no signs of cancer cells in any other parts of his body. Medical research states that this type of cancer does not originate in the parts where it appears. Scotty has been under the care of several doctors who have been very sincere and genuine when talking to Deborah or myself and you can tell they have Scotty's best interest in their hands. There is the Internist, Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Orthopedic Oncologist, Gastroenterologist, and the Physical Therapy  that are members of Scotty's team. And yes keeping the names straight was a bit of a challenge at first but we seem to have their names and faces matched up correctly. On a side note Deborah has made it very clear to them they should treat Scotty as if he was their best friend ! That statement has gotten a big smile from them. And those of you that know my sister can visualize her saying that to them with her candid smile and few chuckles after making the statement.Scotty has developed some pneumonia but has been responding to the antibiotic drip they have been giving him. He is also doing simple breathing treatments that he finds satisfaction in when he gets his smiley faces when he does them !

Scotty will get 4 more radiation treatments this week and will continue with physical therapy. The goal for him is to be able to sit on the side of the bed, stand, and walk with as little of pain as possible. Today he actually was able to take 2 steps forward and 2 steps back with a walker, This was HUGE. The L4 fracture he has that was caused by the tumor is the most painful fracture you can have. He will always have some pain but hopefully the radiation will help relieve him of the severe pain he has been experiencing.  Rehab is in Scotty's future but we donot know when this will occur. He will do that at the Rehab hospital on the CMC main campus.

As far as Deborah she is now out on leave from her class and is handling things very well.  She tries to take Noah to school each day and then heads up to the hospital . Our mom picks him up each day and takes him home. Grandma is a blessing to us all in many, many ways ! I take the afternoon shifts and some day shifts to give Deborah  some time away from the Hospital. Others have filled in for me as well to give me some time as well. The outpouring  care and concern from  her neighbors, friends, family members and colleagues have been phenomenal and have provided the strength we all  need to cope with each day.  We are truly blessed and grateful for all the help. We feel your prayers and feel that Scotty is truly in God's hands.

On a funny side one of Scotty's biggest concerns has been his hair and making sure his teeth are brushed ! Go figure ! So if you go visit tell him his hair looks nice or that his teeth look really really clean ! And his breath smells good !  LOL !! Thanks to good neighbor Adam for providing him with a USC hat. He wears it when he thinks someone is coming to see him or his hair doesn't look good.

Deborah had her first experience tackling trimming shrubbery in the back yard around the pool. She did a pretty good job but for those that know Deborah she doesn't do yard work !  Ha ! Ha !That was always Scotty's hobby and would not allow anyone else to do anything.

 I created this blog to inform you of Scotty's journey and to provide a sense of service for Deborah. Scotty calls me the official  "note taker". I am keeping a journal for them so one day Scotty can look back and see what all he went through and survived. I plan on updating each day but sometimes the days are just not long enough.  God Bless all of you and continue to pray for my dear brother-in- law whom we all love very dearly.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The beginning ...............

On April 24th Scotty was given the first results from an MRI that he had a fractured  L4 that was caused by a tumor that was present on the spine. He had been in pain in his back since February and the pain continued to increase which led to him seeking medical attention. After being on anti- inflammatory meds for a week and pain meds he was sent for an X-Ray and followed up with the MRI. He was then referred to an Orthopedic Oncologist in Charlotte and was scheduled to have a CT scan and blood work on Sunday, April 30th. However the pain worsened in his back and by Friday, April 26 the pain was shooting down his right leg and right shin. He was transported to CMC Pineville and later in the morning was transported to CMC main to the 9th floor. And this is where the journey BEGINS: