Finished Chemo Treatments

On Thursday of last week my Dad finished his last scheduled chemotherapy treatment. From what my Mom has told me it was a hard day. It is over and now we look forward to him feeling better.

In four weeks they will do a PET scan to see if the chemo did its job. A different scan he had a couple of weeks ago showed that the tumors had shrunk. This is exactly what the doctors wanted to see so that is a good sign but this last scan will give us a more formative answer. If that scan shows what the doctors want it too then my Dad will begin radiation therapy. He will go five days a week for one whole month.

The lymph node system in the body helps to run the immune system. Since the lymph node system is what the chemo has been targeting (because that is where the cancer was) it has wiped out my Dad's immune system. This is troubling as you might imagine because we are nearing flu season and are already in full swing swine flu season. (It is running rampant in our ward). Because of this we have not been able to visit. We do not want to expose him or my mom to anything we might be carrying. This has been an unexpected hardship. I knew fighting cancer would be awful for my Dad and for our family - but I didn't ever expect that I wouldn't be able to be there for him or my mom. The best thing for him right now is for us to stay away until his immune system has time to build back up. That is hard and I know it is hard on my Mom too.

Please continue to remember him and my mother in your prayers. We are so grateful he has not gotten any virus/infections during all of his treatments and pray that this blessing will continue.