Breaking news

I just talked to Dad. He said that the news from Dr. Kazhdan is that we are kicking this thing in the butt!

More details later...

Still hurting but good news??? Such a teaser!

Wednesday and Thursday were fairly benign except for the fact that Dad is still very sore and tender on his back. The physical therapist again worked him out really hard and warned him he would hurt. He is still doing his daily exercises and walking to and from the mailbox outside. Thursday he waiting for the physical therapist to show up so that he could exercise and then go vote. They waited and waited, but he was late. Instead Dad decided to do his exercises himself and while they were walking outside the physical therapist called. Since they had waited so long Dad was too tired to try and vote.

Friday starts Dad's second round of chemo. He has a 10 AM appointment, where they will repeat labs, give him his bone strengthening medication and chemo. I expect it will be a long day.

As for the teaser...Dr. Kazhdan called Dad on Thursday and said she had some good news! She wouldn't divulge the information on the phone and said she would tell us in the office when he gets his chemo. Is this the answer we have been praying for?? She did draw lots of labs on him, did they show an improvement meaning we are kicking this thing in the butt??? Don't know. Stay tuned!

Doctor's appointments, a little rest and a little avoidance

Monday Dad's morning was filled with appointments. The diabetic specialist agreed, he didn't need insulin when he wasn't on the dex. Next came Dr. Kazhdan. She said all the labs looked good and would see him again later in the week. We start Chemo again next week. Dad was suppose to have an appointment with the physical therapist in the afternoon, but his back was still hurting from the weekend visit. So he delayed this appointment for Tuesday. Instead, Dad rested his back while working in bed. Mom went to get him a different sitting chair, one that doesn't roll and has a straight back. She wasn't gone long, but Dad got lonely---he's not use to being by himself since all of this happened. Just call him the Lonely boy.

Tuesday Dad was able to get some work done. The blasted Physical therapist came back today. Dad got the lengthy workout again- was he thrilled about it, no, but he did it anyway. He did get a chance to rest his back and worked up the courage to sit in his new chair. New furniture worries him, since he isn't sure how his body will tolerate it and how easily he will be able to get in and out of it. We were hoping with a new chair he would be able to sit further back and let his legs rest a little, but he is still working on this.

The great news is his blood pressure and blood sugars have been great. Now we just need to work on his strength and his back so that he can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! He can't wait to tell you all when he is starting to kick this thing's butt!

The blasted physical therapist

Friday's lab work was good. We also got Dad's insulin and blood pressure medication in order so that there would be no confusion over the weekend. Actually Dad doesn't have to take insulin unless it is high. Dad was suppose to have physical therapy on Friday afternoon, but since he had a long appointment with Dr. Kazhdan and an ultrasound of his legs to make sure there were no clots (there weren't!) they had to reschedule for Saturday.

Physical therapy can be beneficial and not so beneficial. Saturday morning the physical therapist came to work with Dad. They got him up and walking down the street- a first for him. All was good until the physical therapist wanted him to get into bed to work on some exercises. When they did this, Dad's foot got caught- his body twisted and he felt a huge pain in his back. I will refrain from repeating Dad's exact words- but they weren't pleasant. Dad spent a good part of the rest of the day in bed resting his back. Even with pain medication, he said it still hurt. The good thing was that Dad was able to eat a really good meal- BBQ and the Longhorns were on TV. The Texas Win was good and Dad really enjoyed it....he just didn't enjoy the exercise that we all wanted him to do afterwards.

Sunday Dad was still in a good amount of pain. He is trying to rest his back as much as possible, while still remaining mobile to prevent it from stiffening up on him. Tomorrow he has a busy day- work, appointments and physical therapy. He was napping when I called to check on him. Pray it was restful and pain free.

Blood counts, outings and spasms, Oh MY!

Sorry for the delay, I went back to work this week and got a little behind on the posts. Dad doesn't like this....he likes to make sure everyone knows how he is doing.

Wednesday Dad returned to the boutique for more blood work. This was to follow up on his dropping platelet count. The good news is that it was up. He went by the showroom---much to their surprise and was a regular man about town. The physical therapist really worked him hard....warned him he would be sore and tired and he was. Wednesday night some friends were over and everyone had a great time.

Thursday they ran some more errands. They were able to get his temporary parking permit and get some other items accomplished. All the while checking his emails, making calls for work and arranging meetings with Frank and John. Thursday he received a wonderful package from Corporate with cards, prayers and books---all from people who are keeping up with him and praying for him daily. He really was overcome with emotion when he saw this and wanted to take the opportunity to say THANK YOU! You don't know how blessed you are with all the people you have come in contact with or made an impression on until now. He was sad to hear of some others battling cancer, but also resolved to fight hard to kick this thing in the butt. I know he is planning to thank all of you personally---but we just wanted to say WOW! Thursday night Chris and I went over with Jacob (AKA the grandbaby) to have dinner with Dad. Mom had an outing with some of the girls- a much needed respite for her. She hasn't had the opportunity just to have girl talk and girl time. So she went out for a couple of hours while we had dinner. Chris grilled up some great steaks and we had veggies and roasted potatoes. Limited portions of course, but great nonetheless. Dad's sugar was good---at least until night time fell, then it was on the low side but more on that later. His blood pressure was low. I held his evening dose and we got his dosing straightened out today.
Thursday night was restless for dad. His blood sugar was on the low side, so they were checking it every few hours. Finally mom had to give him some juice and a Zinger- Dad's favorite sugary twinkie thing to get it back to normal. Now that he is off the dex, we aren't sure he still needs the insulin. The only problem is the doctors office didn't clarify this and so he is still be treated when he probably doesn't need it. Not only was the night restless because of the sugars, it was also restless because of the spasms. The physical therapist really worked him hard earlier in the week and dad was continuing to do his exercises as directed. Thursday night he spent a good amount of time standing and then sitting at the dinner table. He probably over did it and tired his overworked back too much.

Friday morning we returned to the boutique to get more labs. His platelet counts are once again lower than previously. They were contemplating adding another blood thinner since the chemo can cause clots, but since his platelets are low they aren't. His weight is good and the albumin or measure of nutrition in his blood is getting better and better. What isn't getting better is the swelling in his legs. They are really swollen, well they have been, but today they are more swollen than they ever have been. The swelling isn't just confined to the ankle, it also progresses up his legs to his thighs. This is concerning for all of us, especially Dr. Kazhdan. She ordered an ultrasound of his legs to make sure there aren't any blood clots that developed and could be causing this swelling. We also got him off his scheduled insulin, since he doesn't need it and will just check his sugars before meals and before bed. This new regimen only has him treating the high sugars. Hopefully this new regimen will avoid restless nights for mom and Dad- at least until the diabetic specialist can evaluate him and clarify everything.

This weekend should be a good one. We have family coming into town, the Longhorns are playing and the weather is beautiful.

A little chemo and a surprise visit

Sunday was a good day for Dad---other than the cowboys losing.

Monday morning was busy. Dad had an early meeting with Frank and John. Then he had Chemo at 11. The great news is that his kidney function tests are back to normal. We are very thankful for that. The bad news is that his platelet count (the part of the blood that keeps you from bleeding to death) is down. This is to be expected with his chemo regimen. Dr. Kazhdan though is nervous since he is on blood thinners and can have lots of problems. So to be sure Dad had to return today to get his blood checked again. The confusing part of Dad's regimen is the insulin he is taking. Over the weekend Dad was running really sweet, meaning his sugars were high. This is mostly due to his diet, but is also influenced by the dex on the days he is taking it. So the diabetic doctor changed his regimen and wanted him to increase his insulin doses. It is just hard for him to keep clear which insulin he is getting and when, since there are two different types, one short acting and one long acting. So today he had to get all of this clarified so that he wouldn't have any problems.

Today he went back to get his blood checked. Unfortunately his platelet count was lower than yesterday, which meant he would have to taking the revlimid for the last three days of this regimen. He also made a surprise visit to the office. Everyone was shocked to see him up and about at the office and he really enjoyed getting to see everyone and talk with everyone. He made sure everyone knew that they could visit him--especially since his pain is gone when he talks about work. He said the office looked sharp and was so glad to get a chance to visit. He will still be working from home for now until his mobility is a little more improved.

Lots of IV fluids and the best day he's had in a while

Friday afternoon was dad's routine chemo day. Dad was feeling pretty good and his blood pressure was great without any medication. Unfortunately, when they checked his labs his kidney function tests were really elevated. This is probably due to the low blood pressure he had over the last day. So this meant IV fluids, a LOT of IV fluids. They got to the boutique around 1:20 or so and weren't able to leave until after 6 pm. With Dad's chemo he routinely gets IV fluids, but since his kidney tests were high, he needed a lot more. Dr. Kazhdan was concerned that his blood pressure might be low because of his blood pressure medications, but also the combination of pain medications he is getting. There are times when he sounds really sleepy, because of the pain medications. So she cut the patch dose in half and wants him to try to decrease the anxiety medication.

Saturday was a great day! Dad felt great, he said it was the best day he's had in a long time. The pain patch dose was cut in half, and rather than getting the anxiety medication 3 times a day, he only got it last night. He was feeling really good, the Longhorns beat Missouri and all was right with the world. Watching him walk, he is moving much better. Physical therapy will still come to work with him next week and he will have chemo again on Monday.

Long awaited outing and Under pressure

Wednesday morning was an adjustment for Mom and Dad. With Dad's back and his slower mobility, he needs help getting dressed and getting washed up. Mom understood this and was trying to get dad up and showered early, since he had an 0830 doctors appointment. No one told dad though.....he was insistent on checking his work email and sending out some emails thinking he had plenty of time to get ready. He is use to jumping in the shower and being ready to go in 15 minutes. Well....it takes a little longer than that now. So they were a little late for the doctors appointment. Everything went well, all of his labs were great and he was moving really well. After this we went to lunch and they went to find a chair like the one that is at the boutique. For a man that was cooped up in a hospital for 2 weeks, this was a long day. Wednesday night was good- just trying to make sure all of his medications are correct and that he is taking them at the same time. He slept really well on Wednesday- Mom and Rocky didn't even wake him when they got up to let Rocky out in the middle of the night.

Thursday morning was a repeat of Wednesday. Dad was once again sending emails, and had delayed getting up and out of bed so long that he didn't have time to eat breakfast before the home health nurse arrived. She was there to get a brief history on Dad and determine what type of physical therapy he would need and how many visits. Everything was going great---he had his medications, his breakfast and was telling her his life story. That is everything was great until she checked his blood pressure. It was LOW, really LOW! So we checked it standing and then immediately called Dr. Kazhdan to tell her. She was so concerned she wanted to call an ambulance to take him to her office. Dad refused this and wasn't thrilled about having to go to the office since he had a work meeting scheduled for that afternoon. So we all piled into the truck and off we went to the boutique. He said he was feeling fine, until they went to sit him down to check his blood pressure. The chair he went to sit in was on wheels and wasn't flush against the wall. When he went to sit back- it moved so he moved a little quicker than he needs to and cause a good amount of pain to shoot through his back. He was really pale and looked as though he was going to faint. So we all wheeled him into the infusion room so that he could get IV fluids. He had to reschedule his meeting and talk with John by phone instead---which he wasn't happy about. We think the reason his blood pressure was so low was because of the new blood pressure medication they added when he was in the hospital. Instead of two meds, one in the morning and one at night, he was now taking 3 meds. So she stopped the new medication and sent him home on his merry way. They had a good dinner and were going to play some cards until he said "I feel groovy." Mom said the same look came on his face as it was when he was about to pass out. She immediately checked his blood pressure and it was low, LOWER thank it was in the morning when he needed IV fluids. She calls me so that I can head over to the house. In the meantime, they are rechecking it and checking their own blood pressures hoping the machine isn't working right. Unfortunately it was. When I got there it wasn't any better. Dad didn't want to call Dr. Kazhdan, since he knew her reaction would be to send him to the ER by ambulance and put him in the hospital. Sure enough, that's what she wanted. Dad was able to convince her though that he was fine, no dizziness, shortness of breath or chest pain. She reluctantly agreed to have him lie down and check his pressure again lying flat. If it was better he could stay home, if not he had to go to the hospital. The good news is that is was better. Mom checked it several times in the middle of the night and it kept getting better. Even though Dr. Kazhdan had stopped one of the medications, his blood pressure was still on the low side of normal. So when he had his evening dose, it got lower. This morning he didn't take any blood pressure medications and they are going to talk with his cardiologist to see what medications he wants him on and what doses. It's possible dad doesn't need this much while he is off steroids and only needs it when the steroids are in his system. Not only do steroids increase your blood sugar, they also increase your blood pressure as well.

So, Dad narrowly avoided another hospitalization and is feeling much better this morning. We all are. Mom's blood pressure is better, and so is mine! We were both up with the anxiety of it all and Dad's is back to normal. Physical therapy is working with him this morning. We'll see how that goes!

There's no place like home....

Dad was finally released at 4 pm today. There was a delay in getting his home health physical therapy set up. Every company they tried weren't accepting his insurance, so it was getting passed onto a new company. They finally found a company that accepted his insurance and everything was set to go home.

Dad got into his truck without any problems. Those practice drills on the stairs with the physical therapist helped a lot. He was able to get in and out without any problems. I cooked a nice dinner and we were able to enjoy and take thanks for having good food with family. Dad even got to enjoy some reduced sugar dessert and sugar free ice cream.

We worked on a schedule for all of his medications---and let me tell you there are a lot of them. Tomorrow he has an early meeting with Dr. Kazhdan---more blood work. At some point physical therapy will be getting in contact with Dad to make arrangements.

We thank everyone who was praying, visited, sent warm wishes and prayers. The last two weeks were certainly unexpected, but everyone has been so supportive that it has helped us all get through this.

Good to go around 1 pm.....

Dad did a lot of walking yesterday. Dad practiced with the stairs, to make sure getting in and out of the truck would be easy. He walked in the morning and again at night. We want to make sure Dad is really good at walking before we go. Dad had one spasm or twinge last night, as he was repositioning himself in bed.

Dad is doing well this morning. The cardiologist has already been in, Dr. Kazhdan has already been by. Now we are just waiting for the internal medicine doc to give him his walking papers. We think this will be around 1 pm.

In the meantime, Dad is getting cleaned up, getting ready to walk and Tommy Bahama is crying in the closet for lack of use. "Don't you love me anymore?? Why do you keep wearing those hospital gowns?" Well Tommy Bahama get ready.....the boy is back!

A message from Dad

Just wanted to tell all of you:

It would seem that prayers do get answered and that I am feeling better. My strength is improving everyday. God willing I will be out of here on Tuesday to continue to fight the battle against the resident evil (cue Darth Vader music).... multiple myeloma. Your continued prayers and support are greatly appreciated and I am in continual contact with my staff and we are working to get us to the next level. Now if you don't mind.....time to get back to work.

Love,
Coach

The Marathon Man

Sunday was a surprising marathon day for Dad. By the time Mom got to the hospital, Dad had already been up and walking with the physical therapist. When Mom got to the hospital, she was expecting to see Dad in bed, where he always is ready to get started and cleaned up. When she walked in, he wasn't in bed. A slight panic set in until she saw him staring at her from the chair. Dad walked a marathon in the halls. He walked up and around the floor three times---or according to dad 500 feet. And he did it without pain medication!! He still has the pain patch on his chest, but he didn't have his extra pain medication.

He sat up and watched the Cowboys---of course he was grumpy since they lost. When he is back in bed, he works on his leg exercises, so they actually look more muscular today than they have in the last week.

Sunday night he had two small muscle spasms. He was a little surprised since he hasn't had any spasms in several days, but he also has had any oral pain medication in the last two days and has been doing a lot of walking. He isn't really sure if they are "spasms" or if it is just a reminder twinge of what he is missing. Either way, he wasn't thrilled they came back, it seems to be more bothersome on the right than the left. This morning he was working on stretching out his back and concentrating more on the right since that is where the twinges were more recurrent.

He will get his second dose of chemo on Monday, then they will draw labs on Tuesday and send him home.

Hook 'Em Horns and 400 paces

Dad did really well today. The physical therapist got him up without his pain medication, he walked the halls for around 400 paces and sat up to watch the Longhorns beat OU!!! He stayed in the chair for the whole game, ate lunch and walked again before he got back in bed and took a nap. He actually didn't have any extra pain medication all day until it was time for bed. This is great for him! His back is tired/sore, but not in pain.

All of his labs look great, he didn't need any extra IV fluids. He took a long nap this afternoon after his workout and excitement of watching the Longhorn victory. And Sharyn---Thanks for praying for the Horns!!! :) Anytime the Longhorns win it helps boost Dad's spirits.

It sounds like he will get his second dose of chemo on Monday in the hospital and then possibly go home Monday or Tuesday. His bed at home is all ready for him, waiting. We are working on getting him a lift chair like the ones they have at the boutique. They fully recline, have massage and heat and lift to standing. This will help Dad while his back in healing, plus they are really comfortable for him to sit in. Now we just need to find him a tray to act as his temporary desk for his work stuff for when he works from home. It will take some time to rebuild his strength and he is itching to get back into the office with his troops. One of the guys at work is kind enough to let him use his office on the first floor so that he won't have to climb the stairs to get to his office. Stairs are difficult for him right now, actually I don't think he has tried stairs--to taxing on the back muscles. Instead he will work from home or out of the first floor office until he is back in fighting condition.

He has a routine of exercises he is suppose to do daily that the physical therapist wants him to do. These exercises will help his muscles regain their strength. Staying in bed for so long really weakens your muscles.

Thanks again for everyone who thinks and prays for Dad!!

Starting Chemo...

Today Dad was really encouraged to walk and exercise as much as possible. He spent the morning working, returning emails, making calls and talking with Frank. He talks with Frank on a daily basis and met with him and John the other day when he was readmitted. We were trying to get him up and out of bed when he started his calls again this morning. We think he was procrastinating the inevitable of exercise. But we got him upright to put on his back brace without much pain. We also got him up to walk with a little help, but his legs look stronger today than they did yesterday. He did a lot of walking in his room, and then returned to the chair to sit up. Mom and I went for lunch as he returned some more calls while sitting and working his legs. He had a good lunch sitting up, was able to walk to the bathroom a little more steadily than before and then returned to bed. We had a nice visit with his sister and bother in law.

He finally got the first doses of this second round of chemo. We are encouraged since the response rate with this regimen is 98%. Dr. Virlar came and told him to eat eat eat. His albumin levels are low, which is a measure of his nutrition and that allows for swelling and fluid to collect in different areas of his body. This is why is he having pain in his groin. So he had a great lunch, had some healthy and not as healthy snacks this afternoon and then will have a great steak dinner. Protein is really important to help his body heal and get as healthy as possible while he is fighting chemo.

We hope he will be discharged over the weekend, but it may be Monday. In the meantime, the home health agencies are working hard to get all of the equipment he will need at home to function and he has set up his hospital room as his home away from home and temporary office. I set him up with access to post his own responses and blogs, so this evening he will be able to tell you all personally how much he appreciates all the well wishes everyone has bestowed on him.

Everyone keep strong in faith for Dad's speedy recover and the Longhorns to win over OU! Hook Em!!!

Grin and bear it....

Sorry about the delay in posting info for what happened on Thursday- stayed at the hospital after working and then passed out when I got home.

Thursday Dad was a little more motivated to get up and out of bed. It has been frustrating for Mom to see him get so worked up and anxious about the possibility of pain and muscle spasms. So Thursday Dad decided to really work with physical therapy. He got up and walked and sat in a chair for a while before he got tired from not using his muscles. He also walked again in the afternoon. The problem is that the longer he goes without using his muscles the weaker his legs get. Dr. Virlar, his internal medicine doctor was here watching him walk from the bathroom and was able to see how anxious he gets about trying to get back into bed. He had a good talk with dad about moving quickly and just trying to grin and bear it or suck it up. He told him that we would never be able to get him totally free of pain, but we can manage it to be bearable---almost a dull ache. He is giving dad some new medications for anxiety and Dad was more motivated than ever to really work at moving quicker and trying not to let his mind and worry get the better of him.

The revilimid arrived yesterday. They were suppose to start his chemo yesterday, but by the time they gave him his IV fluids, it was almost 11pm. They decided to wait until Friday to start. This means he will be on a Monday/Friday chemo schedule this time.

The neurologist came to see dad again- since he was feeling a lot of pain in his spine and his groin. The good news is that there is no nerve damage. The only thing is that his leg muscles and hip flexors are weak---but we already knew that.

Thank you so much again for everything. I'm going to show dad how to post on this blog so that he can have the opportunity to address all of you.

The raising of the white flag...

So Dad surrendered yesterday. He agreed to be readmitted to the hospital last night. As I told you all yesterday, Dr. Kazhdan, Elizabeth his nurse and Mom were pleading with him to be readmitted to the hospital. After waiting at the oncologist's office for several hours, getting IV dexamethasone and IV pain meds he finally agreed. Last night the ambulance picked him up and transported him back to the hospital.

The CT scan didn't show any changes which is good. Dad thought he injured himself when he tried to get up. There were no new fractures or any new swelling. Now they are working on getting him back under control with his pain management and physical therapy. The big problem now is that he is scared to get up because he might hurt himself. The anxiety of this is going to be an issue to work through so that he can build his strength and stamina as well as strengthen his bones. They finally got the bed that he will need temporarily at home while he is healing and are working on getting a lift chair to help him get up and recline fully. These are the types of chairs they have at his oncologist's office and he loves them. They have heat, massage, fully recline and lift the occupant to standing without pain.

Tomorrow dad will get his first dose of this new round of chemo. We aren't sure when he will be discharged home again. We are working getting physical therapy set up for him when he goes home. This is difficult with his insurance. Most of the companies in town don't accept his insurance.

We'll see how things go and what we need to plan next.

The trip home may be shortlived

Dad was discharged yesterday evening. He worked with physical therapy, they showed him how to move out of bed without bedrails and logroll to his side. Last night was okay, they took off his patch around midnight.

Today was a different story. He had an oncology appointment today at 1pm. Trying to get out of bed this morning though, he moved wrong and caused the muscle spasms to return. They worked for a while trying to get him out of bed. Mom called and didn't think they were going to make it to the appointment. They finally made it there after struggling to get out of the car and sitting in the front office for a long period of time. Several hours later, they finally moved him back to the infusion room where the therapy chairs are located. Mom, Elizabeth and Dr. Kahzdan were pleading with him to call an ambulance to send him back to the hospital but he is refusing. We are working to get a physical therapy company that will take his insurance. They gave Dad is IV dexamethasone and are waiting it out. We are very concerned because Mom may not be able to help him at home.

"You gave me a mountain this time.." and "In the arms of an angel"

As most of you know this last week Dad has been trying to occupy his time watching concert DVDs. We watched Elvis Lives, the 25 yr special that combined his image and voice from past concerts with his band members still living playing live for him. It was a great concert. There was one song that was particularly touching to Dad and very fitting. The song was "You gave me a mountain" and the chorus goes as follows:
But this time, lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn't just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time

Then we watch the Carlos Santana concert he performed with Sarah McLachlan in her song "Angel." Some of you may remember it from City of Angels with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage.
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

Dad has had a lot of time to reflect on the things he has seen and the music he has heard. Friday was a particularly rough day. It started great, a few twinges when would move, but nothing horrible. He decided it was time to get up to walk and go to the bathroom. In order to walk he needs his back brace and in order to get into it he has to be flat. This was very rough for him. Every time we moved a little flatter, his back would spasm. Anytime he would cough or hiccup, he would spasm, thinking about these songs would make his back spasm from the emotion of them. We tried for an hour to get him into his brace and had to stop. The spasms weren't getting any better, and the pain was getting worse. Dr. Kazhdan called the neurologist and a pain specialist to see him. Instead he had to content himself with staying in bed and trying to stay positive. Friday was a rough day to stay positive for any of us. He was very disappointed knowing he would have to stay the weekend and was even more upset when he couldn't get into his brace.

Saturday was a miracle. The pain specialist had come by and given him a patch for pain as well as a couple of patches on his back for pain. This combined with all the new medications he had allowed him to get into his brace pain free and WALK! He walked the length of his rather large room 10 times upright and pain free. He did use the walker for support, but this will only be temporary to rebuild his strength and heal his bones. He actually decided to show off and walk figure 8's. He was so happy and we were all overcome with emotion. He had Andrea Bocelli in the background to help motivate him. His student nurse told me that listening to him must be what it is like to hear God sing. I think God was listening to all of our prayers and we are all so happy. He visited with Roger and Eric who came to visit. He also got up again in the evening and was able to help get himself cleaned up.

Sunday has also been great. He got up again this morning and walked. He said his back doesn't hurt him at all and the brace didn't hurt either. Just so that you all understand how fragile his bones are.....he has a new rib fracture from using the brace. The first day Mom tightened the brace as she was told and when it was released it caused his fragile rib to break.

Monday morning at 815 he will get his portacath placed. He won't be able to eat anything after midnight, but the procedure doesn't take long. Around 15 minutes. Then he will be able to eat. If they will release him Monday, we aren't sure. We hope, but it may be Tuesday. Dad will need physical therapy after he gets home. They might come to the house, or he may have to go to rehab. He will probably need the walker until his strength is regained and he will need to take it easy as he gets ready to start his intensive chemo treatment.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!! All of the cards, calls, emails and prayers are so appreciated.

The Bionic Man

Dad's back brace arrived today. It is a rather large contraption, has a huge back support covering all of his middle and lower back and a front support that even has a T piece that rests just below his neck. He has to wear this ANYTIME he is out of bed. So they fitted him with it and asked him to walk.....no big deal right? WRONG! Laying in bed for two days really changes your strength and especially with the fractures in his back, nothing feels right. He was able to take 3 steps forwards and backwards, but then started to have a lot of pain and muscle spasms. Later the physical therapist worked with him again, but it was so much pain and spasming that they got him back in bed and took the brace off. When they did, his back locked on him and they noticed a lump in his back. This prompted another CT scan---the good news is there wasn't any bleeding or changes noted. Swelling yes, but nothing else. This swelling is most likely from him laying in bed for the last two days. They said they were going to increase his muscle relaxant dose and try to treat him with pain medications. What this means for him going home we aren't sure. He really can't move, so how can we expect him to get home?

Not much else to report. Just a waiting game....

Return of the jokester

What a difference 48 hrs makes. Dad was put on strict bedrest until he gets his back brace. So no getting up out of bed to go to the bathroom or shower. We were able to get him shaved and cleaned up this morning, smelling good with his cologne and listening to Andrea Bocelli on DVD. Since they got the PICC line in he no longer needed his IV they started yesterday morning. His student nurse took it out this morning, held pressure briefly- but forgot he was on blood thinners and needed the pressure a lot longer. Let's just say there was a big mess involved.

So this morning his oncologist came to see him--her first question is always "So....how are you today?" He decided to freak her out by saying he was bleeding to death. She freaked out and started asking all sorts of questions. Dad was just giving his student nurse a hard time because of the IV incident. You know that when he starts joking with you he is feeling good.

We watched concerts all day- started with Andrea Bocelli, moved on to Willie Nelson, then MTV unplugged, Elvis and Texas Tornadoes. It made the day really great- Dad loves to listen to music and it made the day go by quicker.

Not as many doctors today. The neurologist- brain and nerve specialist came by and agreed with the neurosurgeon. He doesn't feel that Dad needs surgery. He also, doesn't think that Dad had bleeding around his spinal cord. He did a thorough exam on his nerves in his legs and lower extremities- everything seems good. He feels that they should aggressively treat his myeloma and get his bones really strong. He is worried that his bones are not strong enough to take the cement or the pins.

So far it doesn't look like there is an infection- that's great.

They advanced his diet. We got him a turkey sandwich today which he loved.

They are hoping to get his brace soon so that he can get up and walk. If everything looks good and there is no infection- he will get his special portacath- a port under his skin that will allow him to get his chemo and blood draws and then hopefully he will be released home this weekend.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support.