Saturday June 29..Day 64... Scotty is in CMC main in room 4907. He was not feeling very well today at all. In fact this has been a very bad day for him. The pain in his lower right leg has returned and the testing they did on him yesterday has him exhausted. They did a swallowing test and the broncoscopy. So far all we have been told is that there is a bacterial infection in his lungs. However he apparently has other things going on. They did more blood work and they have ordered another series of test. He is on oxygen full time and is not allowed to go to the bathroom unattended. Hopefully they will get to the bottom of his pain and make further decisions on how to treat the liver. As the medical oncologist said again today he is a puzzle. He is not a textbook case.
Noah wanted to go see his Dad today with Deborah and was very frightened by the oxygen. Several doctors and PA's got to meet Noah today and I think he was a bit entertaining for them. The doctor told Deborah to go home and get some rest and that they would take good care of Scotty. She will go up early in the morning and hopefully hear some results from some of the test they were to do.
Please continue to pray for Scotty as he fights this terrible illness. Pray for Deborah as she travels back and forth to Charlotte and pray for Noah that he will be able to handle these constant changes in his life.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Here We Go Again !
June 27th, 2013 Day 62.....Just when you think you are moving forward there comes a hiccup to send you backwards ! That is how we are feeling tonight. Today was a VERY LONG DAY for Deborah and Scotty. As they were leaving for the first of 3 appointments nurse Tori (ortho-oncologist) calls to tell them to go to CMC Pineville for a CT scan of the lung at 11:00 and then to come to the Levine Cancer Center to see Dr. Patt. By the time they got to Dr. Patt's office he had to go into surgery. However, he did leave the X-ray order for Scotty's spine with Nurse Tori and she made sure they were done. The good news is the spine is healing on its on and the radiation has burned the tumor. From that office they went to the Medical oncologist to give them more blood and to see Dr. Ashley Sumrall. She is the one we like and she is not very happy that Scotty has not been checked on by one of her colleagues while in rehab. Scotty's oxygen level is 91 and the CT scan shows fluid in his right lung. Dr. Sumrall gets in touch with the lung specialist while they are in her office and they decide to admit Scotty to the hospital. Scotty was just at the lung doctor last week and everything was good. Now all of this did not happen as quickly as you may think. There was lots of waiting and neither one of them had any lunch. By 3:00 they are admitting him and Deborah has to go move her car while the nurse takes Scotty over to his room on the 4th floor. Room 4709. As Deborah puts it me and the ticket taker are friends again ! When Deborah gets up to his room the Nurse is taking his vital signs and the revolving door of Doctors begins ! The medical Oncologist sent her resident who Deborah calls that "Young Boy", the nurse and doctor from Palliative Care comes in, and the lung doctor on call, Dr. Swartz. The Palliative Care people are for pain management and assistance when dealing with serious illnesses. Scotty is scheduled for a broncoscopy tomorrow at 3pm.. They will flush the lung and try to see what is going on with the lung. He appears to be developing pneumonia again which will be the third time. He seems to go on antibiotics and when he is off them for 10 - 14 days the fluid comes back. He will be in the hospital until they get this figured out because the lung issue is keeping them from moving forward with a plan of treatment for the cancer in the liver.
Please pray for the doctors as they try to solve the issues with the lungs. Pray for Scotty to keep up the fight and for him not to get discouraged. And please pray for strength for Deborah as she continues to care for Scotty and Noah.
Please pray for the doctors as they try to solve the issues with the lungs. Pray for Scotty to keep up the fight and for him not to get discouraged. And please pray for strength for Deborah as she continues to care for Scotty and Noah.
Monday, June 24, 2013
"The Bases Are Full"
Monday, June 24, 2013 Day 59........Proverbs 3: vs 5, 6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Today is the beginning of the week that Scotty should receive a plan for his future in battling this dreaded disease. Thursday they will meet the medical oncologist and the ortho-oncologist for "The Plan". The good news is Scotty is getting stronger each day and he is learning that the leg pain will always be a part of his life for many days to come. This is the reality of the situation when dealing with a back fracture of the L4. Peter his PT nurse through home health care has been a bright spot in helping Deborah with Scotty. I have not had the privilege of meeting him yet but Deborah enjoys the visits when he comes. And trust me she needs all the help she can get! He told Scotty he would have him in the pool real soon doing some exercises that will continue to make him stronger. I will be sure to take pictures when that happens. In the meantime they continue to work on basic everyday movements and leg strengthening exercises as well as arm exercises. They are still making adjustments to the pain medications trying to get the correct dosages and timing of the doses. Scotty seems to be sleeping better so that is a plus. I am sure the week will go by slow for them but the month has really flown by! We had hoped chemo or whatever they were going to do would have started by now but we must continue to practice the "P" word. God has a plan and we know that, so we must be patient ! Scotty really enjoys the visits from neighbors, family, and co-workers. They are very helpful for Deborah as well and they serve as a link for Scotty to the world outside his home ! Great mind therapy as we call it full of laughter and stories. Laughter is the best medicine you know. I was able to borrow a Cadillac walker for Scotty to sputter around with outside and he really likes it ! Thanks to my dear friend Beverly Scott for supplying this. He says he went from a Volkswagen to an Escalade ! LOL !!!
As I write this blog today my heart is very heavy for my sister. The entire experience along with some very critical happenings in Noah's life are taking a toll on her. I feel guilty having vacation time with Bobby knowing what she is going through but I know she would not have me giving up that time either. The title of the blog today is something she said to me last night before I hung up from talking to her. She said "you know my bases are full and I am just waiting on someone to knock a home-run !" Having said that I realized that I must reinforce to her and with her,that God is our strength during this time and we need to use him to clear the bases or at least use his strength to handle each thing as it comes our way. We must take one day at a time and remember God is God, God is good, and God knows what is best for us. In times of pain and struggle we must not doubt or question but lean on him ! Deborah has a lot going on on top of dealing with Scotty's illness. Noah will be changing schools and this is a big step for him. Changes that he is already having to incur these past few months on the home front and other unforeseen circumstances have really affected this little guy. More struggles for Deborah. Also, Deborah was notified that she needs to change classrooms for the upcoming school year. So all her "stuff" has to be moved and all her wall hangings have to be taken down and reattached. So for those of you who are school teachers you will know what a huge stress ball this is for any teacher to go through. (She has a bunch of stuff collected through the years of teaching 1st graders) And of course the day to day house keeping chores and operations that come in a normal life. So in Deborah's mind she has all this going on ! Quite a roster of situations !
So I end this blog with a HUGE calling for all of you to pray hard for Deborah, Noah, and Scotty. Specifics would be: strength and encouragement for Deborah each and everyday, for Noah to understand what and how to deal with all the changes in his life, and for the healing of Scotty as he fights this ugly disease.
Unless something major happens I will not update again until Thursday night when Deborah can give me all the information they will receive on Thursday.
Today is the beginning of the week that Scotty should receive a plan for his future in battling this dreaded disease. Thursday they will meet the medical oncologist and the ortho-oncologist for "The Plan". The good news is Scotty is getting stronger each day and he is learning that the leg pain will always be a part of his life for many days to come. This is the reality of the situation when dealing with a back fracture of the L4. Peter his PT nurse through home health care has been a bright spot in helping Deborah with Scotty. I have not had the privilege of meeting him yet but Deborah enjoys the visits when he comes. And trust me she needs all the help she can get! He told Scotty he would have him in the pool real soon doing some exercises that will continue to make him stronger. I will be sure to take pictures when that happens. In the meantime they continue to work on basic everyday movements and leg strengthening exercises as well as arm exercises. They are still making adjustments to the pain medications trying to get the correct dosages and timing of the doses. Scotty seems to be sleeping better so that is a plus. I am sure the week will go by slow for them but the month has really flown by! We had hoped chemo or whatever they were going to do would have started by now but we must continue to practice the "P" word. God has a plan and we know that, so we must be patient ! Scotty really enjoys the visits from neighbors, family, and co-workers. They are very helpful for Deborah as well and they serve as a link for Scotty to the world outside his home ! Great mind therapy as we call it full of laughter and stories. Laughter is the best medicine you know. I was able to borrow a Cadillac walker for Scotty to sputter around with outside and he really likes it ! Thanks to my dear friend Beverly Scott for supplying this. He says he went from a Volkswagen to an Escalade ! LOL !!!
As I write this blog today my heart is very heavy for my sister. The entire experience along with some very critical happenings in Noah's life are taking a toll on her. I feel guilty having vacation time with Bobby knowing what she is going through but I know she would not have me giving up that time either. The title of the blog today is something she said to me last night before I hung up from talking to her. She said "you know my bases are full and I am just waiting on someone to knock a home-run !" Having said that I realized that I must reinforce to her and with her,that God is our strength during this time and we need to use him to clear the bases or at least use his strength to handle each thing as it comes our way. We must take one day at a time and remember God is God, God is good, and God knows what is best for us. In times of pain and struggle we must not doubt or question but lean on him ! Deborah has a lot going on on top of dealing with Scotty's illness. Noah will be changing schools and this is a big step for him. Changes that he is already having to incur these past few months on the home front and other unforeseen circumstances have really affected this little guy. More struggles for Deborah. Also, Deborah was notified that she needs to change classrooms for the upcoming school year. So all her "stuff" has to be moved and all her wall hangings have to be taken down and reattached. So for those of you who are school teachers you will know what a huge stress ball this is for any teacher to go through. (She has a bunch of stuff collected through the years of teaching 1st graders) And of course the day to day house keeping chores and operations that come in a normal life. So in Deborah's mind she has all this going on ! Quite a roster of situations !
So I end this blog with a HUGE calling for all of you to pray hard for Deborah, Noah, and Scotty. Specifics would be: strength and encouragement for Deborah each and everyday, for Noah to understand what and how to deal with all the changes in his life, and for the healing of Scotty as he fights this ugly disease.
Unless something major happens I will not update again until Thursday night when Deborah can give me all the information they will receive on Thursday.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Don't Be Stupid Be Smart !
Wednesday June 19, 2013 Day 54
Scotty has made a return back from" the bed " and we are so relieved. I will have to say we were all very worried after seeing him Sunday and I prayed that he would recover. And he has !! We were able to make some bed adjustments on Monday and he was up for a little bit. Deborah was able to get in touch with his Home Health OT , Peter and explained to him what was happening to Scotty. She relayed her fear that he would not be able to get in the car for his Dr. appointment on Tuesday. Peter put a plan into action by showing up to the house Tuesday morning at 8:30. Peter is a no nonsense kind of guy and he is full of energy ! He is just what Scotty needed ! He got Scotty up and down the stairs! He showed him some small maneuvers that allowed him to move easier and used a bit of mind therapy on him ! LOL ! He adjusted the shower seat and gave Scotty a good PEP talk which is where the title of my blog came from. Peter told Scotty, "man don't be stupid be smart next time !" referencing to him staying up too long on Friday and Saturday. He also told him to stop trying to go so fast down stairs. Take one step or two and then rest.
The visit with Dr. Doty went very well. He said he saw no pneumonia and that he could back off some of the medication prescribed for breathing and mucus. Those medications are now "as needed" drugs if he begins to wheeze or cough chronically. However, he must continue to practice breathing deeply to get the lungs back in shape.
After they finished with Dr. Doty, Nurse Tori from Dr. Patt's office(medical oncologist) came and picked up Scotty and Deborah and gave them the grand tour of the Levine Cancer Center. Deborah said it was a very nice place and the people were all so friendly. Scotty had his blood work done and Nurse Tori looked over his medications that were assigned to him when released from rehab. She liked my chart ! Lol ! She made some adjustments that were needed in the area of pain management. Hopefully this will help.
After they left the hospital Scotty wanted to go to Chi fil a and of course get a milk shake ! He tried the Peach flavor and said it was the bomb !
Once they got home he made it to the recliner and I had to give him another PEP talk about how he was not going to over do it again and that we all needed him to be smart !
I will update again this evening after I hear how his day has gone but for now I am off to the baseball park to work.
Please continue to pray for Scotty, Deborah and Noah.
Scotty has made a return back from" the bed " and we are so relieved. I will have to say we were all very worried after seeing him Sunday and I prayed that he would recover. And he has !! We were able to make some bed adjustments on Monday and he was up for a little bit. Deborah was able to get in touch with his Home Health OT , Peter and explained to him what was happening to Scotty. She relayed her fear that he would not be able to get in the car for his Dr. appointment on Tuesday. Peter put a plan into action by showing up to the house Tuesday morning at 8:30. Peter is a no nonsense kind of guy and he is full of energy ! He is just what Scotty needed ! He got Scotty up and down the stairs! He showed him some small maneuvers that allowed him to move easier and used a bit of mind therapy on him ! LOL ! He adjusted the shower seat and gave Scotty a good PEP talk which is where the title of my blog came from. Peter told Scotty, "man don't be stupid be smart next time !" referencing to him staying up too long on Friday and Saturday. He also told him to stop trying to go so fast down stairs. Take one step or two and then rest.
The visit with Dr. Doty went very well. He said he saw no pneumonia and that he could back off some of the medication prescribed for breathing and mucus. Those medications are now "as needed" drugs if he begins to wheeze or cough chronically. However, he must continue to practice breathing deeply to get the lungs back in shape.
After they finished with Dr. Doty, Nurse Tori from Dr. Patt's office(medical oncologist) came and picked up Scotty and Deborah and gave them the grand tour of the Levine Cancer Center. Deborah said it was a very nice place and the people were all so friendly. Scotty had his blood work done and Nurse Tori looked over his medications that were assigned to him when released from rehab. She liked my chart ! Lol ! She made some adjustments that were needed in the area of pain management. Hopefully this will help.
After they left the hospital Scotty wanted to go to Chi fil a and of course get a milk shake ! He tried the Peach flavor and said it was the bomb !
Once they got home he made it to the recliner and I had to give him another PEP talk about how he was not going to over do it again and that we all needed him to be smart !
I will update again this evening after I hear how his day has gone but for now I am off to the baseball park to work.
Please continue to pray for Scotty, Deborah and Noah.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
The Homecoming
Sunday June 16 Happy Father's Day ! Day 51
Happy Father's Day to all of you ! I wish Scotty's day had been a bit better but we knew there would be ups and downs as we go. I will start with Friday and give a day to day update. Friday Scotty arrived home from the hospital around 2:15. The discharge was not an easy process and they sent Deborah and Scotty home with very LITTLE information. Obviously the organizers for discharge were on vacation and did not leave any instructions for those who were in charge ! So.... they left the hospital and their first stop was the drug store. Deborah hands them the folder and the pharmacy tech looks at Deborah and says "you do realize there are 17 prescriptions here right ?" Deborah just looks at the guy with her smile and shakes her head and responds well yeah ! Not sure what he was thinking as if Deborah had a choice between them or what....
So off they go home and Deborah would later return to pick up the meds. They arrive home safely and Scotty was able to maneuver himself successively in the house. He was very glad to be back home and in his own surroundings. He sat outside briefly and tried out different chairs in the house. He was very excited to be home. Later in the evening he was able to go upstairs and into the room he would now be sleeping in.
The night was not the best. We had gotten him a new matress for the day bed to sleep in but it was not exactly positioned the best. So his first night at home was not a very restful one. I also think he was still very excited.
On Saturday the on call Home Health Care Nurse comes out to help them understand all the meds and to go over a few things with them to get them started. We think he will receive a visit 3 times a week from a nurse from this organization. We are really not sure at this time. One of those details they were suppose to learn at discharge that got left off! I go over with a Strawberry milkshake in hand and start trying to organize his medicines.( Deborah was dealing with a Noah breakdown so I was trying to help with Scotty)I get baskets and cards to label the medications into categories. I have since then made a drug chart for him so they can make sure he gets the right doses at the right times. That was a huge chore ! I am still working on it to tweak it. Scotty was up most of the day and he did not rest much at all. Which leads us into Sunday......
Sunday June 16..... he has not made it out of bed today. His legs are hurting and he is extremely tired. We are hoping this is the result of him over doing and that he will be back on his feet tomorrow. Bobby and I grilled steaks for fathers day at their house and he did manage to eat a few bites. He generally loves steak but had no appetite.
Scotty has an appointment with Dr. Doty, a lung specialist on Tuesday morning in Charlotte. There seems to be some concern about the fluid that still remains in one of his lungs. They will do a chest x-ray and hopefully find out what is going on. He will have an appointment with the ortho-oncologist, Dr.Patt and his now assigned medical oncologist , Dr. Sumrall on June 27th.
Noah will begin Summer school tomorrow for 3 weeks at Saluda Trail from 9 - 12. We really hope he likes the program. This has not been a good weekend for him and the adjustments that are having to be made in his home have affected him greatly.
Please continue to pray for Scotty to get stronger and bounce back from this set back. Pray for Deborah to get some well needed sleep and rest and pray for Noah.
Happy Father's Day to all of you ! I wish Scotty's day had been a bit better but we knew there would be ups and downs as we go. I will start with Friday and give a day to day update. Friday Scotty arrived home from the hospital around 2:15. The discharge was not an easy process and they sent Deborah and Scotty home with very LITTLE information. Obviously the organizers for discharge were on vacation and did not leave any instructions for those who were in charge ! So.... they left the hospital and their first stop was the drug store. Deborah hands them the folder and the pharmacy tech looks at Deborah and says "you do realize there are 17 prescriptions here right ?" Deborah just looks at the guy with her smile and shakes her head and responds well yeah ! Not sure what he was thinking as if Deborah had a choice between them or what....
So off they go home and Deborah would later return to pick up the meds. They arrive home safely and Scotty was able to maneuver himself successively in the house. He was very glad to be back home and in his own surroundings. He sat outside briefly and tried out different chairs in the house. He was very excited to be home. Later in the evening he was able to go upstairs and into the room he would now be sleeping in.
The night was not the best. We had gotten him a new matress for the day bed to sleep in but it was not exactly positioned the best. So his first night at home was not a very restful one. I also think he was still very excited.
On Saturday the on call Home Health Care Nurse comes out to help them understand all the meds and to go over a few things with them to get them started. We think he will receive a visit 3 times a week from a nurse from this organization. We are really not sure at this time. One of those details they were suppose to learn at discharge that got left off! I go over with a Strawberry milkshake in hand and start trying to organize his medicines.( Deborah was dealing with a Noah breakdown so I was trying to help with Scotty)I get baskets and cards to label the medications into categories. I have since then made a drug chart for him so they can make sure he gets the right doses at the right times. That was a huge chore ! I am still working on it to tweak it. Scotty was up most of the day and he did not rest much at all. Which leads us into Sunday......
Sunday June 16..... he has not made it out of bed today. His legs are hurting and he is extremely tired. We are hoping this is the result of him over doing and that he will be back on his feet tomorrow. Bobby and I grilled steaks for fathers day at their house and he did manage to eat a few bites. He generally loves steak but had no appetite.
Scotty has an appointment with Dr. Doty, a lung specialist on Tuesday morning in Charlotte. There seems to be some concern about the fluid that still remains in one of his lungs. They will do a chest x-ray and hopefully find out what is going on. He will have an appointment with the ortho-oncologist, Dr.Patt and his now assigned medical oncologist , Dr. Sumrall on June 27th.
Noah will begin Summer school tomorrow for 3 weeks at Saluda Trail from 9 - 12. We really hope he likes the program. This has not been a good weekend for him and the adjustments that are having to be made in his home have affected him greatly.
Please continue to pray for Scotty to get stronger and bounce back from this set back. Pray for Deborah to get some well needed sleep and rest and pray for Noah.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
"Oh Happy Day "
Wednesday June 12, 2013 Day 47
Scotty called me yesterday to give me an update on his progress in PT for the day. I received the call around 4:00 which was a bit early but I thought nothing of the fact he was calling. Deborah happened to be calling me at the same time but I answered Scotty's first. With both of them calling at the same time I was a little apprehensive to answer but I knew I had to answer. SO I looked at Kristin and said a brief prayer and hit the answer button. Scotty began to speak in a very low voice with a quite depressing tone. " I have something to tell you " My stomach starts to churn and then the words began to come out " hey sister in law guess who walked 60 feet today unassisted , sat down and walked 60 more ?" and he started to laugh and speak with excitement !! "THE STAR STUDENT" Tears came to my eyes as he proceeded to tell me about the experience and how all the PT people were cheering, clapping, and giving high fives. And at that moment one of my most favorite songs began to play in my mind " Oh Happy Day, Oh Happy Day when Jesus walked, Oh Happy Day........and I have been singing it all night long. ......(Remember he was told he only had a 50/50 chance of ever sitting or walking again)So now this leads me to the next most exciting news to report.
SCOTTY IS COMING HOME FRIDAY !!! Yes you read that correctly. He will be coming home Friday ! I am not sure of the exact time of discharge but as soon as I know I will let you know! There is a lot to be done between now and Friday and we are all anxious for this day to come. And, for this to happen , Deborah had to go to Patient Care School today from 9:00 am until 3:00 at the Rehab center. She will learn the do's and dont's, the have's and have nots, and what things Scotty will need to make sure he is comfortable at home. I wish I could be there to watch my dear sister in class because before the day is over they probably will have changed the curriculum or may even offer her a job ! :) They have all grown to love her sense of humor and positive perspective she has placed on this entire situation. One time early on when Scotty had only been in rehab several days a nurse was in the room and he needed to use the bathroom and he told Deborah. With a serious tone and look , Deborah said well just get up and go if you need to " The look on the nurse's face and Scotty's was priceless ! Of course then she went into her only Deborah kind of laugh! It was so funny. So I can only imagine how school will be for the both of them today.
When he is discharged on Friday they will have all the appointments made with the medical oncologist, the orthopedic oncologist, and a home health care assignment. He must continue his PT at home so he can continue to build his strength for what is yet to come. He will also have to secure a medical doctor in town since he doesn't have one. Remember I posted in my first blog this is a man who never went to a doctor. He will tell you I went from no doctors to a "team" of doctors. Don't ever do this and go for your yearly check ups ! And if your back hurts go get it checked !!
My daily devotional that I do from the Joyce Meyer series was so fitting for today. They are sent to me on my I Phone. The scripture was Psalm 10 verses 1 - 5.
Psalms 100 A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
We are so thankful for this victory in Scotty's journey. We know there is still a long road ahead of us in fighting this disease but for now we are celebrating his coming home and his ability to walk.
Please continue to pray for Scotty as he transitions home, for Deborah as she gains knowledge and understanding of what he needs, and for Noah as he will now be exposed to a whole new way of living for his Dad as well as for the entire family. Please continue to pray for the doctors to make the right chemo decisions and for Scotty's ability to when the fight against the cancer !
I will be returning home from my beach project today where I was able to receive some rest and relaxation while scheduling and supervising some repair work. Safe travels for everyone this summer season !!!
Scotty called me yesterday to give me an update on his progress in PT for the day. I received the call around 4:00 which was a bit early but I thought nothing of the fact he was calling. Deborah happened to be calling me at the same time but I answered Scotty's first. With both of them calling at the same time I was a little apprehensive to answer but I knew I had to answer. SO I looked at Kristin and said a brief prayer and hit the answer button. Scotty began to speak in a very low voice with a quite depressing tone. " I have something to tell you " My stomach starts to churn and then the words began to come out " hey sister in law guess who walked 60 feet today unassisted , sat down and walked 60 more ?" and he started to laugh and speak with excitement !! "THE STAR STUDENT" Tears came to my eyes as he proceeded to tell me about the experience and how all the PT people were cheering, clapping, and giving high fives. And at that moment one of my most favorite songs began to play in my mind " Oh Happy Day, Oh Happy Day when Jesus walked, Oh Happy Day........and I have been singing it all night long. ......(Remember he was told he only had a 50/50 chance of ever sitting or walking again)So now this leads me to the next most exciting news to report.
SCOTTY IS COMING HOME FRIDAY !!! Yes you read that correctly. He will be coming home Friday ! I am not sure of the exact time of discharge but as soon as I know I will let you know! There is a lot to be done between now and Friday and we are all anxious for this day to come. And, for this to happen , Deborah had to go to Patient Care School today from 9:00 am until 3:00 at the Rehab center. She will learn the do's and dont's, the have's and have nots, and what things Scotty will need to make sure he is comfortable at home. I wish I could be there to watch my dear sister in class because before the day is over they probably will have changed the curriculum or may even offer her a job ! :) They have all grown to love her sense of humor and positive perspective she has placed on this entire situation. One time early on when Scotty had only been in rehab several days a nurse was in the room and he needed to use the bathroom and he told Deborah. With a serious tone and look , Deborah said well just get up and go if you need to " The look on the nurse's face and Scotty's was priceless ! Of course then she went into her only Deborah kind of laugh! It was so funny. So I can only imagine how school will be for the both of them today.
When he is discharged on Friday they will have all the appointments made with the medical oncologist, the orthopedic oncologist, and a home health care assignment. He must continue his PT at home so he can continue to build his strength for what is yet to come. He will also have to secure a medical doctor in town since he doesn't have one. Remember I posted in my first blog this is a man who never went to a doctor. He will tell you I went from no doctors to a "team" of doctors. Don't ever do this and go for your yearly check ups ! And if your back hurts go get it checked !!
My daily devotional that I do from the Joyce Meyer series was so fitting for today. They are sent to me on my I Phone. The scripture was Psalm 10 verses 1 - 5.
Psalms 100 A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
We are so thankful for this victory in Scotty's journey. We know there is still a long road ahead of us in fighting this disease but for now we are celebrating his coming home and his ability to walk.
Please continue to pray for Scotty as he transitions home, for Deborah as she gains knowledge and understanding of what he needs, and for Noah as he will now be exposed to a whole new way of living for his Dad as well as for the entire family. Please continue to pray for the doctors to make the right chemo decisions and for Scotty's ability to when the fight against the cancer !
I will be returning home from my beach project today where I was able to receive some rest and relaxation while scheduling and supervising some repair work. Safe travels for everyone this summer season !!!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
"Star Student "
Scotty is a star student at his rehab center ! The goals they like for their patients to accomplish before being released he has superseded ! They want you to walk 54 feet with a walker and he accomplished 184 feet ! In the wheelchair they want you to cover 500 ft and he has gone 1200 ft ! So we are excited for these gains. He has been in the rehab kitchen practicing how to make coffee and tea from a standing position with the walker. Tomorrow he will start tackling STEPS ! Scotty continues to work out in the gym regaining his strength in his upper and lower body. The pneumonia caused a bit of a set back with his energy and strength but as you can see he has made great improvements. He still receives an antibiotic drip 2 times a day and oral antibiotics as well. He has a pain patch for the the back pain as well as oral medications. He was experiencing some pain down his left leg earlier in the week and we know that is because he has been letting the left side do more work to compensate for the right side. His appetite is still not there but as he told me " I eat because I know I need to but nothing has a taste" But the strawberry milkshakes with no whip creme are still the best !!! So we all try to bring him one when we visit.The doctor at the rehab center expects Scotty to be there through the 14th if not longer. We will soon start preparing for his dismissal time and should know some needed items soon. Several of you have asked but right now all things needed will depend on how far he comes in his ability to maneuver in the house. So we shall wait.
Deborah, Noah and Grandma went to visit Scotty yesterday and when they arrived he was sitting in his chair. Noah walked in and looked at his Dad and said "WOW Dad you sure are skinny ! " It was good for Noah to see Scotty up. We know Noah doesn't express his feelings as easy as others but we do know he realizes Scotty has been very sick. Yesterday was Deborah and Scotty's 28th wedding anniversary. So hard to believe they have been married this long ! Scotty has been a precious part of our family and we have had so many laughs with him I could write a book! I bet some of you didn't know Scotty was a neat freak. When we go eat at their house you better not leave your plate alone ! He will grab it and throw it away before you blink an eye. Or even before you finish your last bite.
Noah will be attending the extended school year program and it will start June 17 for 13 days from 9:00am - 12 each day. So we are all going to try and jockey some schedules this week to help with Noah so Deborah can get to the hospital each morning. That is a complicated situation itself trying to work around everyone's summer schedule. But it will work out. Deborah received a phone call from her former Principal and that was a pleasant surprise for her. The continued support and prayers from family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors is such a blessing ! God has truly surrounded our family with love, strength and guidance throughout this entire journey.
Isaiah 43: 2 " When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. vs 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;.....
Please continue to pray for Scotty to regain enough strength to come home so he can begin his chemo treatments to fight the cancer, Deborah's safety traveling and strength to handle all the changes and situations that are occurring, Noah as he makes a school change and continues to adjust to the changes in his life, and for all of us who are providing additional support for Deborah and Scotty.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Official Diagnosis Is Made
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Day 39...... I know some of you are wondering why my post are not everyday...well between teaching, working at Knights Baseball Stadium, visiting Scotty and running my own house I have decided to blog as things change or when we have new information. Scotty has been increasing his time in the wheel chair and walking with a walker. He even made coffee in the rehab kitchen yesterday. Deborah said he seemed very tired today and was enjoying a few more naps. The oncologist Dr. Rachael did stop by today and told Deborah and Scotty that all the results are in from the biopsy and Scotty has Hepatocellular Carcinoma. This is cancer that does originate in the liver as a result of the Hepatitis C and his has metastasized to the L4 in the spine. The team will meet and decide what treatment they will do for this. The Doctor actually told Deborah to look up the term and read the information about this type of cancer. Personally I really don't like to read from the internet but the doctor seemed okay with it but I am not sure which site. So I just googled it. The medical Doctor called Deborah later this afternoon to tell her that Scotty has pneumonia again. We knew he seemed more congested these past few days and they had him using a nebulizer and another breathing treatment each hour. They were starting him on antibiotics. He continues not to have an appetite and we try to find things that might seem appealing to him. Strawberry milkshakes still seem to be a big hit.
Noah will finish school this Thursday and will be allowed to attend the extended school program for a week. He participated in his school program last Friday and will attend 5th grade graduation at his school. It is hard to believe he will be moving to middle school. On his way to school the other day he told Deborah he had a dream his dad was home and he was so happy. He said he woke up and checked their room and realized he wasn't there. He said I miss my Dad! How sweet that was.He had a surprise visit from his former First grade teacher Phyllis Payden-Adams and her husband Alonza. They came and got Noah and a neighbor and took them for an outing. He had a great time getting out of the house.
Deborah continues to make her trips daily to Charlotte and did go see Noah in his program. The meals she is receiving are such a big help and has been a great support for her. She also loves the visits from each one who brings the meals. She had a visit today in Charlotte from two colleagues Marsha and Robyn. She was able to go to lunch with them and that was so nice for her to get away from the hospital setting and have some adult conversation and support.
Please continue to pray for Scotty, the doctors, Deborah, Noah and the rest of us as we continue to travel through this journey.
Noah will finish school this Thursday and will be allowed to attend the extended school program for a week. He participated in his school program last Friday and will attend 5th grade graduation at his school. It is hard to believe he will be moving to middle school. On his way to school the other day he told Deborah he had a dream his dad was home and he was so happy. He said he woke up and checked their room and realized he wasn't there. He said I miss my Dad! How sweet that was.He had a surprise visit from his former First grade teacher Phyllis Payden-Adams and her husband Alonza. They came and got Noah and a neighbor and took them for an outing. He had a great time getting out of the house.
Deborah continues to make her trips daily to Charlotte and did go see Noah in his program. The meals she is receiving are such a big help and has been a great support for her. She also loves the visits from each one who brings the meals. She had a visit today in Charlotte from two colleagues Marsha and Robyn. She was able to go to lunch with them and that was so nice for her to get away from the hospital setting and have some adult conversation and support.
Please continue to pray for Scotty, the doctors, Deborah, Noah and the rest of us as we continue to travel through this journey.
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