Scotty Goes To School

Sunday August 25th, Day 121

I am so sorry for not posting sooner but my days are filled with teaching, coaching, managing the home front and trying to check in on Deborah and Scotty. They have had a very eventful week and I am amazed at the strength Scotty continues to show each day. On Tuesday I took Noah, Scotty and Grandma on a trip to Rawlinson Rd Middle school so they could meet Noah's teachers and the staff at Rawlinson Rd. Noah did a very good job introducing us to the teachers. Scotty was so tickled to meet his teachers. And the entire staff was so kind and have continued to be so supportive. I am so thankful everyday they are taking care of him.


Wednesday school started and Scotty continued to busy himself around the house. He knows his limits as far as lifting and task he should not do and seems to follow the guidelines he has been given. He says he makes an excellent dishwasher and he tries to help make Deborah a little breakfast. He can work the toaster pretty good ! LOL ! We have banned him from the oven and he has promised he will not try to cook. He has had home visits from his Hospice Social Worker, Chaplain, Doctor, and of course his nurse. He has been very pleased with all of them. He has also had various family members come for visits as well as staff members from several of his offices in his district. He really loves the visits and they are so important to him! He can't wait to tell me about who came and from what office. And I love to hear the stories he tells about them. So if you have time, stop by for a visit. :)

On Saturday Scotty was feeling well enough to go out to eat. Deborah, Noah, and Scotty went to the Longhorn and had a very interesting time ! Noah wanted to order one of everything on the kids menu and he told the waiter he couldn't eat broccoli because he would start throwing up and etc...... Deborah said he went into this long explanation about the broccoli ! LOL! And then Noah ordered a 6 layered dessert and as of today he was still eating off of it. I guess you can tell it has been months since they have been out to eat as a family and Noah was making sure they tried everything !

Today Scotty is battling a sever case of laryngitis and has started taking something for it. He has had this issue off and on since he was dismissed and for whatever reason it seems to be worse today. I told him he talks too much ! LOL!!  So he speaks in a whispering voice. His legs have started swelling some but the poor man hardly rest them so I guess they are reacting to the workout he gives them. Sleep continues to be a problem for him but he says he is not tired so he cannot sleep. The energizer bunny has returned ! My mom would like to chain him down when she visits but I told her that was not a good idea!


As far as Noah goes we all know things will be hard for Noah as changes take place and he is very sensitive to stress levels when they occur. Unfortunately he reacts in a not so good way and we are working to help him make good choices. His ABA therapy is continuing and Deborah was able to secure someone to help get Noah to school through the TLC organization. My mom picks him up each day.

Deborah is back in her classroom with her 24 first graders. She is trying to balance all the needs of her class, Noah, and Scotty. It is amazing what she is doing right now. Her days are quite full and she could not be  surviving without the support and care everyone has surrounded her with.  The cards, visits, meals, grass cutting, Noah care, small fix it task, gift cards etc... have all been so helpful. She is so thankful and so am I for what everyone has been doing.

Please continue to pray for Scotty as his body continues to deal with this cancer and pray he will not be in severe pain. Pray for Deborah and Noah as their lives continue to be affected by this illness and give them the strength to be strong in the days to come.

Psalm 46: 1  "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble "

The Journey Takes A New Path Of Focus

August 14, 2013 Day 110

I have spent the past 24 hours trying to decide how to post this update and what to call it.  I kept thinking about the conversation Scotty and I had in the car as I drove him home from the hospital and it hit me what I needed to title this entry. After all the doctors had given us all their medical opinions and diagnosis on Monday, Scotty decided that his path with this illness needs to focus on QUALITY and COMFORT for the duration of this illness. On Monday the Radiology Oncologist gave him what he called one last "supper duper" dose of radiation to that evil growth on his spine that has decided to grow and completely disintegrate the L4. That is why the onset of excruciating pain returned. He can have no more because it would damage the nerves and cord that would create a whole bunch of ugliness !They finished up his dose of vancomycin and put us in contact with Hospice and Community Care in Rock Hill. Deborah and I met with the counselor on Tuesday morning at the Wayne T. Patrick Center and she( the counselor )went to meet Scotty very soon after we left the center. They had a great visit and from there the wheels started turning. By 6:30 pm Scotty and I were on our way out of the hospital and he was a very Happy Man to be going home. The nurses on the 4th floor said they thought he was skipping one time when they looked up ! His entire attitude has changed and he is a much more relaxed and content person. When transport arrived he was the most happiest I have ever seen him ! I did tell him he had to stay in the wheel chair while I went to get the car. On the last dismissal when I drove up he was standing up helping the security guard direct traffic !! I was lucky he didn't get hit by some maniac !  When we arrived home two intake nurses were already at the house to get Scotty started and of course get the proper paper work filled out. He had a visit today with his assigned nurse and a social worker as well. The support, care, and comfort we have already gotten has begun to provide the much needed assistance we were needing to continue our travels through this journey. Scotty is moving very well around the house and he has found something to eat that really taste good to him, French Toast and BLT's. Bobby went over at lunch today and took him a BLT from Southern Salads.  They had good conversation before Bobby had to return to work. I think tomorrow is cheeseburger day for the both of them ! Scotty is busy looking at some business stuff and trying to plan a small trip to see some of his relatives from his Dad's side of the family. His brother Phillip is trying to arrange the time to take him. He is enjoying the flowers around the house and is making sure the kitchen stays clean. He loves to wash dishes!!
 LOL.....

As of today Noah will be attending Rawlinson Road Middle School. We had a very positive meeting with a great group of people who want to help Noah with his transition to 6th grade. I can honestly say our prayers have been answered for him at this time. This is a big relief for Deborah. TLC is helping Deborah find someone to help get Noah to school each day and our Mom will pick him up for now until we can make other arrangements so she can have some time off when she needs it.

Deborah went back to work today and received a very warm welcome by her colleagues. They have been so good to her and she enjoyed planning and focusing on teaching which is what she truly loves to do !

As I close tonight I ask that you continue to place Scotty, Noah, Deborah, and all of our family in your prayers as we begin to travel down the path of Quality and Comfort. Scotty has placed himself in the hands of our dear savior and he knows God is taking care of him.

Romans:8:28  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Isaiah: 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Back To The Fourth Floor

Saturday August 10, 2013 Day 106

Sorry I am just getting caught up on my post but we have been a very busy family trying to meet the day to day needs and  bumps through this day to day journey. Scotty was released from the hospital on Wednesday with a pic line inserted  in his right arm to enable him to continue his vancomycin through an IV at home hoping to rid his body of the pneumonia in the lungs which was diagnosed as MSRA. A swallowing test he took on Monday revealed his thin liquids were not flowing to the stomach therefore he now has to add a substance called thicket to his thin liquids before he drinks them. The liver diseases he has will cause this to happen. They affect the muscles in the esophagus. They diagnosed the rash he had as fungus and he received an external creme for them which seemed to be working.  Swelling had started in his legs and feet but they gave him a shot of Lasik and said that should take care of that. The home health care team had to change due to the assignment of a speech person. Scotty, Deborah, and myself were trained on Wednesday night on how to do the IV. That was a long day and night ! On Thursday Scotty's legs continued to swell and they started weeping. He also started experiencing more back pain that he had not had in many weeks. By Friday morning the pain had escalated and he was unable to get out of the bed. We had to call EMS to help us and to transport him back to CMC Main. Deborah was treated to an ambulance ride and enjoyed her ride with the driver. She said he was very caring and was very concerned about Scotty. We spent several hours in the Emergency Room and were so fortunate to find his team doctors there ready to care for Scotty. They gave him some morphine in the ambulance and that reduced the pain once it entered his system. We had to take a room on the 10th floor but was moved today to the 4th floor which serves oncology patients. Right back where we have been several times before. An MRI was taken this am and blood work was done yesterday. His ammonia levels are elevated so they have started him on meds for that. Palliative care has added another pain medication for him to help with some of the break through pain. The MRI revealed the tumor in his back has enlarged and they will discuss on Monday the possibility of doing more radiation treatments. There was also evidence of some muscle twitching in his legs as well as some interval numbness in his thighs. All of this is probably due to the growth in the tumor. The swelling has gone down in his legs but they are still weeping and some form of rash has developed on both legs. He was able to get a shower on his own today and move about the room with his walker.

Needless to say this has been a BIG disappointment for Scotty and we are praying he can bounce back with the determination to get stronger again. I must say we have all been affected by these recent chain of events and have had to really rely on our faith these past few days. We know God is in control and he knows what is best for his people. He will not let us down in times of trials and suffering and we must go to his word in difficult times such as these. As believers we know there is abundant power in prayer and we are asking everyone to pray for Scotty to physically and mentally be able to overcome these past few days. Please pray for Deborah's strength as she handles all the household duties and business, Noah and his needed issues, and her preparation to return to work this week. Please pray for her safe travels to and from Charlotte. And please pray for the rest of us as we continue to provide support and care for Scotty, Noah,and Deborah.

Continuing To Improve!

Saturday August 3, 2013 Day 99

Scotty continued to improve today. Deborah spent the day with him and they had a good day. They moved him to the 4th floor room 4920. He has been able to get up for brief periods to use the restroom and his oxygen is on 4. If you recall he was on 3 when he was dismissed from the hospital on his last episode. Dr. Sumrall explained to them that the cancer and hepatitis C will cause the reoccurring  episodes of pneumonia. But the good thing is Scotty seems to respond well to the antibiotics. So we are now on the road to recovering from this episode. He will have another test on Monday making sure his food and liquids are going where they are suppose to go and not into his lungs. As of now we do not have any idea when he will be released.

Deborah will stay home Sunday and go out to her school and work in her classroom. She has some colleagues and parent helpers coming Monday to help her finish what she doesn't get done. This is a big help and will be such a relief for her.

Please continue to keep Deborah, Scotty, and Noah in your prayers !

Psalm 28:8 "The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one."

"Double Cheese Burger Please !"

August 2, 2013 Day 98

 I am happy to report that Scotty was feeling better this morning. His fever is completely gone and his rash was looking much better. His oxygen was on 12 last night and they were able to move it down to 8. He had a broncoscopy at 10:00 am and a Esophagram at 1:30. When he returned to the room after the second procedure he was ready to eat ! He wanted a double cheesburger with lettuce, tomato and mayo, a pack of cheese peanut butter crackers, a dessert cookie and a vanilla shake. He said he was starving. I knew then he was feeling some better. His nurse got him the burger and fries and he did eat most of the burger. He was full after that. As of right now I have nothing new to report and the doctors are waiting for the cultures to grow to reveal what type of pneumonia we are dealing with. In the meantime they are treating him with 3 different types of antibiotics. The doctor did say he had a pretty bad case and they hope to get to the bottom of why he keeps catching the pneumonia. They have determined that his rash is a fungus and they are able to treat it with creme. He did have a few cat naps in between procedures today and Deborah just called to tell me he had the nurse to get her on the phone so he could  check on her and Noah.  Deborah will take him his cell phone tomorrow morning so he can check on everyone and keep in touch with the outside world. Dr. Sumrall the medical oncologist stopped by this afternoon and told us she would be looking at all his test results and get back to us the first of next week about where we go from here. She did say this was a set back in her plans but hopefully he will overcome this pneumonia very quickly. She also pointed out that we had a good team working on Scotty and that he was in the best place for him to get the best possible care.

Please pray for Scotty's body to fight this pneumonia so he can get back home and recuperate. Pray for our safe travels to and from the hospital. Pray for Deborah as she prepares her classroom for the up-coming school year. Pray for Noah to have a peaceful week as he tries to understand why his Dad is sick again.

Back To The Hospital

August 1, 2013 Day 97...... Well just when we thought things were moving forward we took several steps back  today! Scotty got up this morning not feeling very well at all. He told Deborah he was okay and for her to go on for her eye exam. Kristin arrives to keep Noah and to help Scotty and she noticed he was not very alert. This was around 9:30. He was very confused and he just didn't seem himself. She called me and I headed over to their house. When I got there I realized he was short of breathe, very hot and shivering all over. His ankles and feet were very swollen and his left knee was swollen. I got the nurse on the phone from the oncologist's office and she had me call the ambulance. I was able to get Deborah and she finished her eye appointment and came right on. Kristin and I immediately started his oxygen he had at the house. The ambulance attendants arrive and they agreed he was too sick for me to drive him. We went to CMC main ER and was there until about 4:30 and they moved him to ICU. They moved him again around 8:30 to the progressive floor unit. They told us with the amount of oxygen he was on he needed to be watched more carefully than if he were on a regular floor.  At this time they are telling us he has a very visible case of pneumonia in his right lung. They showed us the x-ray. They started IV antibiotics and are continuing to evaluate his problems. He has also developed some type of rash and we had 8 doctors tell us today that it was not shingles. So we are waiting to hear what they decide it is. And yes we had seen 8 doctors by the time the night was over and we had to tell his story 8 different times why we brought him in. JEEZ...They were taking him down for a CT scan sometime tonight of his lungs. We hope to know more in the morning. Deborah and I left the hospital around 6:45pm and stopped at a Penn Station in Charlotte for some food and a chance to thaw ! Those hospital rooms and ER rooms are so COLD ! Even the bathrooms make you shiver ! LOL !  I will go up for the early shift while Deborah takes care of some phone calls she needs to make and to situate Noah for the day.

My thoughts today are it is amazing how quick things can change in a matter of hours with one's health. Bobby and I were just over there last night and I took the pictures for the blog. Today he is a very sick man and he needs all the prayers he can get ! WOW !......

Please pray for Scotty, Deborah, and Noah. Also our brother Kenny who will be in CMC main in the am having a heart cath done.