Finally, Another Blog Entry

OK, OK, I haven’t given y’all an update in a while, but we’ve been very busy: 4 medical offices, two scans, a visit from Aunt Jackie and Uncle Terry, a rest day and yesterday William installed our new water filter and fixed a leaky drain pipe. Aunt Eliska works each time she comes over and we did some extra cleaning and patio work this week as well. Thank you to everyone for your hard work and visits.

Again, we like our doctors, we like the new building and we like their staff. Tuesday we met the radiation therapist, Dr. Tralins, for a consultation. He, the lung doctor and the oncologist decided the best first round of therapy is moderate radiation, 5 times a week, in the center of the chest where many of the effected lymph nodes live, including the one that is pushing on the nerve that goes to the vocal cord. With radiation, Janette will also start a course of milder chemotherapy. We’ll learn more about the chemotherapy plan Wednesday, when we revisit the oncologist. Radiation starts Monday, 8:30 am.

One of the two scans was a CAT scan to pinpoint where to focus the radiation. Now Janette, who refuses to pierce her ears, who thinks tattoos are gross and barbaric, is tattooed herself. “That hurt!” She said. “It’s like someone sticking you with a sewing needle. How can they stand to have that done all over their bodies?!” Three dots, that we can’t even find, on her chest to help the radiation techs line-up their equipment correctly.

The other scan was a MRI to look for cancer growth in the brain. Lung cancers often move easily into the brain and the oncologist wants to have all the data he can. Janette did very well with this scan that everyone seems to hate. I know, I was in the room with her and I needed earplugs the machine was so loud. At the time, she was coughing easily when she lay flat, but she said her prayers, put herself in a trance and lasted the whole 45 minutes without coughing or back pain.

Janette’s coughing and choking while talking and swallowing is better. The swallow study (eating and drinking a bunch of barium laced foods while being X-Ray) gave her a technique for swallowing water and pills. It helps when she remembers to do it, but we think the biggest help for the coughing is the homeopathics she has been using for almost two week.

Coughing is better but now pain is worse, particularly in her back and legs. So Friday, we got our first pain medication, non-narcotic, and Monday afternoon we have our second homeopathic visit where Janette will get some homeopathic meds for pain. We all have good hope for the homeopathics and the pain since we see how well they’ve worked so far.

Next appts: Monday, radiation. Monday, homeopathic. Tuesday, speech therapy. Wednesday, oncologist. And radiation each week day.