28 Aug 2010

Lynne continues with a busy schedule as she recovers from the aggressive brain surgery six weeks ago. The recovery is slow but progress is being made. The physical and occupational therapy is becoming more strenuous so she is very sore after the sessions. She was scheduled for an occupational therapy session today but I had to cancel because she could barely get her eyes open when I tried to awaken her. She did manage to get up for lunch but wanted to rest about two hours later and she is still sleeping - four hours so far.

Our air conditioning went out Tuesday evening. I became aware of the problem just shortly after a call from a solicitor offering service for the same. I told them I had someone who takes care of the systems and hung up. Not ten minutes later Jessica walks into the front room and said "why is it so hot in here?" I told her I guess it's time to call that someone who takes care of the systems. Luckily, the house has two units so we slept in the guest room.

Kirk, from Croffoot Heating and Air Conditioning, called at 6:30 the next morning stating he was on his way to take a look at the malfunctioning unit. After a brief description of the situation, he believed the motor starter capacitor was bad. He opened the unit and discovered a bad ________; you guessed it - motor starter capacitor. In nothing flat, we regained a reprieve from the Arizona summer.

Lynne and I met with her oncologist this week. The office is seeking approval from the insurance company, so we expect a call within a couple of business days to schedule an appointment for Lynne's continued chemotherapy. The BCNU is administered intravenously in two separate doses, once for two consecutive days then repeated every six weeks. According to my research, most people tolerate BCNU fairly well with minimal nausea and other side-effects. I am hoping that Lynne tolerates the BCNU treatment with minimal side-effects, as she demonstrated high sensitively to Temodar, a previous chemotherapy drug. Existing therapies for glioblastoma multiform (GBM) are palliative so we will continue regular MRI scans to monitor the state of the cancer.

As always, Lynne and I appreciate your prayers, thoughts, and cards. We also appreciate those who have shared meals with us and supplied Lynne with the McDonald's Carmel Fraps and other treats over the last few weeks.

Regards,
Darryl

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20 Aug 2010

Lynne's recovery from her surgery is moving along steadily. She had nine appointments this week with doctors, therapists, and home nurse visits. She is definitely ready for a nap after the therapy appointments. Lynne has moments of clear speech but still struggles to find the words to express her thoughts.

Yesterday, without warning, the batteries for the Logitech universal entertainment system remote died so I had to make an emergency run for AAA batteries. This is only an emergency when one is stuck on the couch most of the day. As I made my way to the garage, Lynne said "can I ride along?" She had just finished a physical therapy session and was ready so I helped her to the car for a few minutes out of the house. Once into the car, she said "you know I have a plan." She didn't have to say any more, I knew she wanted a McDonald's Carmel Frappe, you know the one that is fantastilicious.

Lynne's sister was able to sit with Lynne for a few hours on Wednesday. Jessica went to the mall for a little breather and I got a little uninterrupted work time. We are also looking forward to a visit from our friend in Connecticut. Lynne will get some time to talk about things other than cancer, doctors, and treatments.

We did meet with neuro-oncologist this week to discuss chemotherapy options. He recommends switching to bis-chloranitratesurea (BCNU) due to Lynne's sensitivity to Temodar. Lynne almost lost her life when taking Temodar three years ago due to platelet counts that plunged to fatal levels. Temodar is a one of the gold-standard treatments, especially following the initial diagnosis. BCNU is one of the original treatments for GBM approved by the FDA in 1977. BCNU is the same agent that is in the Gliadel wafers implanted during surgery. She has an appointment with her oncologist next week to get the chemotherapy treatments started again.

7 Aug 2010

We have had a pretty uneventful week at home since Lynne was discharged from the rehab facility. Lynne has moments where she is able to speak clearly but most of time she finds difficulty piecing together her thoughts into coherent speech. Lynne is sleeping well at night, which is a relief. When I get a good night's sleep, I have much more energy throughout the day. Jessica is also contributing most of her time to ensure that Lynne has a 24 hour watch.

I have been coordinating doctor appointments and her continued rehabilitation therapy care this week. The rehab doctor and I had agreed on home therapy but the discharging physician prescribed out-patient therapy. Her primary care physician supposedly sent an order to a local home therapy company but when I called yesterday, they claimed no knowledge of receipt. We are meeting with the primary care physician on Monday so we will get things rolling. Lynne did mention to me at breakfast that she is ready to get working on the rehabilitation. I am also coordinating the resumption of her chemotherapy treatments. The neuro-oncologist is recommending a modification in her treatment, so I am greasing the communication skids to ensure that her oncologist receives the recommendation and to schedule her first appointment.

Lynne and I met with the neurosurgeon on Thursday. He is pleased with the healing of the surgical site. Given the significant deficiencies resulting from this surgery I asked the surgeon about the likelihood of any future surgical procedures. He confirmed my suspicion. The risk associated with each subsequent surgery increases significantly compared to the previous procedure. Any future procedures must be considered with great care. At this point, we are looking to the chemotherapy as the primary treatment.

Susie and Kristel stopped by on Wednesday and treated Lynne with lunch from Taco Bell. Tom and Charlotte treated us to takeout from Pei Wei last evening. That put the infamous Lynne grin out Lynne's face. We enjoyed both the meal and the visit. Lynne continues to receive several cards each day, which she appreciates very much.

As Lynne's condition stabilizes, I will be posting updates less frequently but will update promptly with any significant news.

Regards,
Darryl


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

1 Aug 2010

After a couple of days of searching I located a potential vehicle that will suit Lynne's need for one that is lower to the ground so she can get in and out safely. Given the number of doctor appointments she is scheduled for in the next few weeks, moving quickly is important.

I located a Cadillac CTS-V on a local dealer website on Friday. On Saturday, the vehicle was no longer posted, so I started searching for other suitable alternatives. On Sunday, much to my surprise and delight, the vehicle once again appeared on the website so I showed up at opening time for a test drive. Come to find out, a co-worker of my brother was looking at the same vehicle, luckily I beat him to the punch. On my way out the door, Lynne managed to say "Black." She loves black vehicles with chrome wheels, so I assured her I had her back on this one.

The deal was a good one. I traded in both the 2005 Denali and the 2000 Yukon. The Yukon was driven a whopping 1,200 miles last year. So I am thankful that the deal worked and receive the benefit of not paying insurance and registration.

So back to the CTS-V... the V includes the Corvette LS6 engine and all of the performance tweeks and options one would expect from Cadillac. While I made sure that the vehicle met Lynne's needs, the 405HP and 0-60 in 4.5 seconds is just for me. That is what makes a good marriage right... compromise.

Regards,
Darryl