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.
