Dad
So, one thing I haven't really addressed much lately is how my dad is doing. It's been a long six months full of chemo treatments, MRIs, and anticipation focused on getting to the point of surgery. At school the only way I could really cope was by ignoring it. If I thought about it too much I just ended up feeling guilty that I wasn't around to be helpful and supportive. I talked to my mom about it and she completely understood. She even offered to contact me when something was up rather than make myself remember to check in. For better or for worse this allowed me to get through the remainder of the school year.
Well, the point of surgery has arrived. All the doctors have been saying if we could get to this Dad would be in the best situtation. The goal is to remove the tumors in his liver which have shrunk substantially due to the chemo. My mom has been keeping a blog on the Mass General Website for patients so she can keep relatives and friends up to date and I just thought I would post the most recent one here for memories sake. Livejournal is definitely a place I post to keep a few people up to date on my life, but increasingly it's become just a journal for me. I make far more of my posts private and just write so I can look back later in life and remember what exactly was going on. Even now, just looking back at my time in England through posts has been kind of insane. So, for memories sake...
Don and I met with the surgeon this morning. He is scheduled for surgery next Wednesday, July 8th. We have been so focused on getting through the chemo that neither of us had given that much thought to the actual surgery that was the goal......
I think it was a bit more than either of us were anticipating. I mean, Don has had his heart re-constructed, his colon resected....what's a bit of liver surgery? It's a 6 hour surgery where the surgeon will remove from the left lobe about 40% of his liver, that's what. As the surgeon put it,, it is a very "aggressive approach" which is in the service of surgically removing the remaining cancer and going for a "cure".
He said the recovery will be quite exhausting as all of Don's energy and cell usage will be put towards expanding the remaining liver tissue, as well as his body having to function on half of a liver. And about 6 weeks later, when his body has expanded his liver tissue enough, he gets to do it all again and have the rest of the tumors removed from the right lobe of his liver.
The positive energy of the successful chemo has morphed more into what suddenly seems like a very long road yet. The surgeon is positive, yet cautions that a plan like this could still get de-railed on a few different counts and we will be going phase by phase still. But in the best of the best situation, the surgeries will happen, the liver will still do its job and the cancer will be no more.
We all had a break together up at Plum Island last week. Don and I , and Katie and Elizabeth. Our house was across from the beach and we got to hear the waves crashing every night. The weather was quite mixed, but it wasn't about the weather, just the being together.
Don is pretty beat up at this point, I have to say. Having to go through not one but two more major surgeries is going to be a real tour de force. But he is tough and ready to go onward,, but he is also really really exhausted in just about every realm.
The shrinking energies worked,,,now he needs the growing energies!
It's going to be a long time before any of this is behind us. One of the more interesting things I've heard from a doctor during this whole thing is that while cancer can't be cured, for many people it can be held back. It can, for many, be treated like a chronic illness. My dad is fortunate enough to have the type that can potentially be just that, a chronic illness.
*And now for something completely different*
In other news, I'm moving to San Diego. Probably around August 1st. I'm excited, anxious, worried, terrified, and relieved. A decision has been made, an offer has been turned down, and plane tickets have been purchased to go apartment hunting. I literally could not be moving further away from Boston and still be in the contiguous United States - but I'm okay with that.
We're still in the process of trying to figure out how, exactly, we're going to get there. Option 1 is drive a U-Haul cross country. We are not fans of this idea, but it is the most cost effective. Option 2 is hire a moving company to move everything, put Josh's car on a train, and fly out there. This is the least cost effective option. Option 3 is hire a moving company to move everything, and drive Josh's car cross country. While this is neither completely cost effective or easy - it is the most appealing. Problem is.... I still can't drive. And even if i were to get my permit tomorrow I don't think I would be able to a) schedule a driving test in time... the waiting list in MA is looooooong, or b) actually be able to pass the driving test and be comfortable behind the wheel of a car.
Know anyone that has a life long dream of driving from Boston to San Diego with some MUST SEE location stops on the way with two strangers?? Please, do give them my contact info =).
Well, the point of surgery has arrived. All the doctors have been saying if we could get to this Dad would be in the best situtation. The goal is to remove the tumors in his liver which have shrunk substantially due to the chemo. My mom has been keeping a blog on the Mass General Website for patients so she can keep relatives and friends up to date and I just thought I would post the most recent one here for memories sake. Livejournal is definitely a place I post to keep a few people up to date on my life, but increasingly it's become just a journal for me. I make far more of my posts private and just write so I can look back later in life and remember what exactly was going on. Even now, just looking back at my time in England through posts has been kind of insane. So, for memories sake...
Don and I met with the surgeon this morning. He is scheduled for surgery next Wednesday, July 8th. We have been so focused on getting through the chemo that neither of us had given that much thought to the actual surgery that was the goal......
I think it was a bit more than either of us were anticipating. I mean, Don has had his heart re-constructed, his colon resected....what's a bit of liver surgery? It's a 6 hour surgery where the surgeon will remove from the left lobe about 40% of his liver, that's what. As the surgeon put it,, it is a very "aggressive approach" which is in the service of surgically removing the remaining cancer and going for a "cure".
He said the recovery will be quite exhausting as all of Don's energy and cell usage will be put towards expanding the remaining liver tissue, as well as his body having to function on half of a liver. And about 6 weeks later, when his body has expanded his liver tissue enough, he gets to do it all again and have the rest of the tumors removed from the right lobe of his liver.
The positive energy of the successful chemo has morphed more into what suddenly seems like a very long road yet. The surgeon is positive, yet cautions that a plan like this could still get de-railed on a few different counts and we will be going phase by phase still. But in the best of the best situation, the surgeries will happen, the liver will still do its job and the cancer will be no more.
We all had a break together up at Plum Island last week. Don and I , and Katie and Elizabeth. Our house was across from the beach and we got to hear the waves crashing every night. The weather was quite mixed, but it wasn't about the weather, just the being together.
Don is pretty beat up at this point, I have to say. Having to go through not one but two more major surgeries is going to be a real tour de force. But he is tough and ready to go onward,, but he is also really really exhausted in just about every realm.
The shrinking energies worked,,,now he needs the growing energies!
It's going to be a long time before any of this is behind us. One of the more interesting things I've heard from a doctor during this whole thing is that while cancer can't be cured, for many people it can be held back. It can, for many, be treated like a chronic illness. My dad is fortunate enough to have the type that can potentially be just that, a chronic illness.
*And now for something completely different*
In other news, I'm moving to San Diego. Probably around August 1st. I'm excited, anxious, worried, terrified, and relieved. A decision has been made, an offer has been turned down, and plane tickets have been purchased to go apartment hunting. I literally could not be moving further away from Boston and still be in the contiguous United States - but I'm okay with that.
We're still in the process of trying to figure out how, exactly, we're going to get there. Option 1 is drive a U-Haul cross country. We are not fans of this idea, but it is the most cost effective. Option 2 is hire a moving company to move everything, put Josh's car on a train, and fly out there. This is the least cost effective option. Option 3 is hire a moving company to move everything, and drive Josh's car cross country. While this is neither completely cost effective or easy - it is the most appealing. Problem is.... I still can't drive. And even if i were to get my permit tomorrow I don't think I would be able to a) schedule a driving test in time... the waiting list in MA is looooooong, or b) actually be able to pass the driving test and be comfortable behind the wheel of a car.
Know anyone that has a life long dream of driving from Boston to San Diego with some MUST SEE location stops on the way with two strangers?? Please, do give them my contact info =).