March 15th Update
This is Donna updating. No, Calvin is not in the hospital, but he has not felt up to using a computer. Since it has been almost 1 month, I decided to do an update for him.
It has not been a good month, in general. Calvin had chemo on Monday, Feb. 26th. This was his first Monday chemo, having changed the day from Friday to Monday, hoping that his weekends would be better. They have not been. He had chemo again on Monday, March 5th. He went in again on Monday March 12th for his regularly scheduled Monday chemo, which would have been the 3rd treatment of round 4 of the 6 rounds he has been getting since January 2007. After having his temperature checked (it was over 102) and his blood count done (his red blood count was very low again) it was decided that he would be unable to get his chemo. They also got a urine sample for a urinalysis. (Sometime in the night Sunday night his urine once again became very red with blood and clots.) So they worked on getting his temperature down, and got him set up with an intravenous antibiotic. Allison & I were both there with him. (I had driven up to SVU on Friday, picked up Allison for Spring break, and driven us back home by late Friday night. I will take her back up to college on Sunday, and drive back home Sunday night.) I went to work and Allison drove Calvin home when he was done. We had taken two separate vehicles, knowing I would have to leave to get to work.
On Tuesday morning, March 13th I took Calvin to Mission Hospital's Outpatient Infusion Center for a blood infusion. They wanted him to be given 2 units of blood. That took about 4 hours. Allison stayed with him when I had to leave to go to work. She then drove him home when he was all done.
On Wednesday, March 14th Calvin had an appointment with his Urologist, Dr. Sech. Dr. Sech got the results of Calvin's urinalysis from Cancer Care, and Calvin indeed has a urinary track infection. He has been taking Cipro, an antibiotic, since Monday. Dr. Sech proposed that after the infection is gone, that Calvin might consider having a laser procedure done through a cystoscope, to see what is going on in his urinary track, and use the laser to try to break up some of Calvin's prostate tumor. He had proposed this to us back in January during Calvin's hospital stay, but Calvin was not ready then. So we are considering it now. For normal "garden variety" prostate cancer it is very successful in decreasing the frequency and urgency of urination, which Calvin has been having to deal with. It might work as well on Calvin's extremely rare tumor. It is called "The GreenLight PVP Laser Procedure." It would be done as an outpatient under general anesthesia. If there are no problems, he would be discharged that same day, with a catheter, which would only be in place for 24 hours. At worst they would keep him overnight and send him home the next day.
Just got a call from Cancer Care. This morning when we were there for a check up they drew some blood for a CBC. Calvin's hemoglobin is still too low. They are going to schedule another blood infusion for 2 more units.
About the only good thing that has happened in the last month, is that Calvin did get baptized. He had been meeting with the missionaries here in our home, and he did a lot of reading, and questioning, and listening, and praying, and wanted to be baptized. That occurred on Saturday evening, March 10th, with Confirmation on Sunday morning, March 11th. So he has his Christian faith now, and the much brighter prospect of life after death.
Calvin's days are spent mostly in bed. He has no energy. Can't read much, can't watch the TV or a movie for very long, has to force himself to eat. So there has not been much "quality of life". That is why were are considering this laser procedure. He feels he needs to do "something" to try to improve his quality of life. Also, once we get the results from his CT Scan which he will be getting on Wednesday, March 21st, we will know the status of the cancer, and where we need to go next. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
It has not been a good month, in general. Calvin had chemo on Monday, Feb. 26th. This was his first Monday chemo, having changed the day from Friday to Monday, hoping that his weekends would be better. They have not been. He had chemo again on Monday, March 5th. He went in again on Monday March 12th for his regularly scheduled Monday chemo, which would have been the 3rd treatment of round 4 of the 6 rounds he has been getting since January 2007. After having his temperature checked (it was over 102) and his blood count done (his red blood count was very low again) it was decided that he would be unable to get his chemo. They also got a urine sample for a urinalysis. (Sometime in the night Sunday night his urine once again became very red with blood and clots.) So they worked on getting his temperature down, and got him set up with an intravenous antibiotic. Allison & I were both there with him. (I had driven up to SVU on Friday, picked up Allison for Spring break, and driven us back home by late Friday night. I will take her back up to college on Sunday, and drive back home Sunday night.) I went to work and Allison drove Calvin home when he was done. We had taken two separate vehicles, knowing I would have to leave to get to work.
On Tuesday morning, March 13th I took Calvin to Mission Hospital's Outpatient Infusion Center for a blood infusion. They wanted him to be given 2 units of blood. That took about 4 hours. Allison stayed with him when I had to leave to go to work. She then drove him home when he was all done.
On Wednesday, March 14th Calvin had an appointment with his Urologist, Dr. Sech. Dr. Sech got the results of Calvin's urinalysis from Cancer Care, and Calvin indeed has a urinary track infection. He has been taking Cipro, an antibiotic, since Monday. Dr. Sech proposed that after the infection is gone, that Calvin might consider having a laser procedure done through a cystoscope, to see what is going on in his urinary track, and use the laser to try to break up some of Calvin's prostate tumor. He had proposed this to us back in January during Calvin's hospital stay, but Calvin was not ready then. So we are considering it now. For normal "garden variety" prostate cancer it is very successful in decreasing the frequency and urgency of urination, which Calvin has been having to deal with. It might work as well on Calvin's extremely rare tumor. It is called "The GreenLight PVP Laser Procedure." It would be done as an outpatient under general anesthesia. If there are no problems, he would be discharged that same day, with a catheter, which would only be in place for 24 hours. At worst they would keep him overnight and send him home the next day.
Just got a call from Cancer Care. This morning when we were there for a check up they drew some blood for a CBC. Calvin's hemoglobin is still too low. They are going to schedule another blood infusion for 2 more units.
About the only good thing that has happened in the last month, is that Calvin did get baptized. He had been meeting with the missionaries here in our home, and he did a lot of reading, and questioning, and listening, and praying, and wanted to be baptized. That occurred on Saturday evening, March 10th, with Confirmation on Sunday morning, March 11th. So he has his Christian faith now, and the much brighter prospect of life after death.
Calvin's days are spent mostly in bed. He has no energy. Can't read much, can't watch the TV or a movie for very long, has to force himself to eat. So there has not been much "quality of life". That is why were are considering this laser procedure. He feels he needs to do "something" to try to improve his quality of life. Also, once we get the results from his CT Scan which he will be getting on Wednesday, March 21st, we will know the status of the cancer, and where we need to go next. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
posted by Calvin | 7:53 AM
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