The Birthday Boy Keeps Marching

Saturday, April 4, 2009 -- From Bobbie Hixson


I believe Gordon’s 5th chemo has had less side effects than 3 & 4. He slept late, but has been in the yard walking around, and now he has gone to Greenlife, the organic grocery store on Manufacturer’s Rd. near the Market St. Bridge. He has been eating dried beans and legumes. They are very good for cancer patients. Meats create acid which is not good for the pancreas or cancer. We have been doing mostly fish and chicken. I’m so hungry for spaghetti or lasagna. I guess by this time, his system is adapting somewhat.

When we went for the chemo infusion Friday, Gordon was fasting; so they did some extra testing that his internist ordered. Of course, we don’t know the results as yet. We had to be there at 9:30 am. We had never been at that time, and every recliner was full, except for one. And most of the people being treated were young or middle age. There were only 3 older people including Gordon. It certainly gives you a whole new perspective on life. It makes you glad and sad at the same time. You’re so relieved that you’re not one of the ones being treated, and so sad to see the ones who are being treated. Most of the women had on a scarf or hat. I suppose they have lost their hair. And they were getting 2 bags of the infusion rather than 1. Gordon’s labs are okay. Everything is holding so far. Nothing had gone down. His attitude is holding positive, and I’m the encourager. Sometimes I get so tired both emotionally and physically, but I try not to let him know.

The surprise 80th birthday party was a real hit, and was he ever surprised! He got teary, and I went over and hugged him, and that seemed to give him the support he needed. Some of his techs that he worked with 30 years ago were there, as well as the staff at the Women’s Diagnostic Center. They usually do something on a much smaller scale for everyone’s birthday; so they were afraid he would be suspicious. But he wasn’t. He has too much else on his mind. The Radiologist he worked with at East Ridge Hospital and his wife came and brought lots of good hot, finger food. I would say it was a smashing success. And the MRI tech that he trained at East Ridge came. Some of them wrote the dearest and sweetest notes in their cards. They really love him and appreciate all the kindness and help he has shown them. He was very moved to say the least. His niece, Ann, and her husband, Winston were there, as well as Karen (our daughter) and Adrian, who worked for him 18 years and has known him since she was in high school. Our daughter-in-law had a bad fracture of her ankle on Sunday, and was having surgery on Monday; so she and Gary (our son), couldn’t come. Others had to work and couldn’t be there. It was a great party, and memories he will treasure now and forever.

Lori, his nurse for the chemo treatments, said his immunity should be very low right now; so they want him to stay away from people. He had no business going to Greenlife, but once he makes up his mind…there’s no talking him out of it. (like most men)!


Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and next Sunday is Easter Sunday….celebrate Jesus….He lives!!!
I thank, love, and appreciate each one who is praying for Gordon and me.

Bobbie Hixson

Doctors and a Birthday Outing--Would You Like to Send Greetings?

Friday, March 20, 2009

I met Dad at Memorial Hospital for his appointment with Dr. Barnett, the vein doctor. (Turns out Dr. Barnett and I went to U.T.C. together and double-dated a few times.) He and Dad discussed the history of Dad's venastasis, as well as the original study done five years ago, when the circulation problems originated, and the one from a few weeks back (March 11). The doctor wanted to get an updated thorough study and said he would order one that would cover what the recent one did not.

He applauded what Dad had done so far and agreed the leg didn't look bad. He prescribed Silvadene for the skin and Bagbalm to alternate with it. In further conversation, he recommended Dad take Vicon Forte, which is high in zinc and will help him not only with the veins but also with the cancer.

He told Dad to continue using the above-the-knee compression stocking and take eight-hour breaks from it, to protect his already-compromised skin on that leg. To that he suggested Dad add biker shorts/spandex to help the reflux of the femoral artery. He said Dad was right to elevate the leg as much as possible, especially while sleeping.

Dr. Barnett said Dad should wait a year after his cancer treatment before considering vein surgery. Laser would certainly be an alternative, but the doctor does not do this. He does vein stripping, which is transcutaneous with tiny incisions.

At Dad's visit for labs and a check with Dr. Slabach, the doctor was not overly concerned with Dad's low platelets or hemoglobin. These would have to drop much lower to require a transfusion and interruption of the chemo. He did agree that zinc with selenium would be good to fight Dad's cancer. He said as things stood, Dad could and should continue his baby aspirin to help prevent a blood clot.

Both doctors' visits were encouraging, and we had a little celebration of the first chemo "vacation" with a stop at Erlanger's Starbucks.

On Sunday, Eric, Emily, Steve, and I met Mom and Dad at the Blue Plate. This was our day to celebrate Dad's birthday, as he'll be taking chemotherapy again next Friday and will not feel as well. His appetite, thanks to the Megase, was right on--he enjoyed the appetizer of Blue Plate Chips, his grilled salmon, the corn muffins, and a few bites of the infamous Aretha Frankenstein pudgy pancake. I'm so glad we were all together.

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Dad's official 80th birthday is Sunday, March 29. If you'd like to send him a card, please email me for the address. (Perhaps we can plan a big celebration when he's finished and recovered fully from the chemotherapy.)

kphillipso at aol dot com (spammer prevention)

No Chemo This Week, But Double Dose of Docs Tomorrow

Dad and Mom both must be relieved tomorrow holds no chemotherapy, with its side effects of fatigue and possibly anemia and weight loss. So early in the treatment process, they have many questions for Dr. Slabach at Dad's Friday appointment. Dad will have lab work done, just like all the other Fridays, and he's hoping the results from last week may be better than previously.

Before they head to Erlanger, Dad will see Dr. Barnett at Memorial about the swelling and pain that continues to plague his right leg. Despite the problems, he worked Wednesday and Thursday.

I'll try to post tomorrow after these appointments.

Thank you again for following the journey with us and holding us up in prayer. We appreciate you all!

Back to Work, Then a Reprieve

Dad seemed to enjoy going back to work last week, but I think he was also delighted one of his subs finished his regular gig early and volunteered to work for him yesterday. He's learning to pace himself--well, at least more than he did before.


He's reconciled himself to the fact that his anemia may take not days, but months, to correct. I'm glad to see he's become more flexible, especially since he has less control over some factors in his life and health! A lesson for us all.

Thanks again for all your prayers. We can learn from those in our lives who deal with serious medical issues to treasure what health we have, to be sensitive to people around us who seem irritable or unfriendly--we don't know what they may be facing, and to make the most of our moments today--to do what counts for eternity and what will be remembered and cherished.

First Treatment Was Friday--Life Goes on Monday

Monday, March 2, 2009

Mom drove Dad to his first chemotherapy infusion Friday. He slept late on Saturday and admitted on Sunday that perhaps the advice about avoiding spicy foods--felt like tacos Saturday night--should have been heeded. But fortunately he did not experience nausea as a side effect of the chemo.

With Dad recovering from his treatment over the weekend, he and Mom felt they should not attempt to attend Sherry's mom's funeral. They felt badly that they would miss this opportunity to be with the family, especially Sherry in her need for comfort. The weather turning crazy--Steve and I showed up to a snow-covered cemetery surrounded by slushy side streets, and only the hearse and flower van arrived after the funeral--was another reason it was a good thing they hadn't tried to come.

Gary said all his family would be moving their cars off the steep drive into the street. With all the cancellations, I don't know whether Trey, Ann, and Jack will still have a flight back to Kansas today.

Dad is anemic, so they are working with the oncologist to find the right iron supplement to remedy the problem. Dad insists he'll be back at work today. Hopefully he'll have a good day.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Back to Work He Goes

Dad returned to work Monday. The staff had left balloons in his office. He was glad one of the doctors who'd filled in for him during his recuperation from surgery could help him catch up.

I haven't gotten a report on how yesterday went, but Steve and I, along with Toney-Paite, Skylar, and Grantland, our "grandkids" from one of our Key Club "children," stopped by for a visit to Mom and Dad on Sunday.

Dad says he's gained five pounds and looks great. He's ordered (rather, had Mom order) a Jack LaLanne juicer to put the antioxidants in veggies to work destroying cancer cells!

His first chemotherapy infusion is Friday afternoon at 3:00. Prayers are appreciated!

Thanks to all who've been following Dad's adventure, especially for your loving concern shown by your notes, calls, visits, and mostly, prayer.

Out of Denial, into Light Both Harsh and Sweet

Saturday, February 14



It was as if my mind and emotions sat paralyzed after we returned from Emory. I didn't want to deal with all the spoken, unspoken, and contradictory possibilities. Weary with the long haul at the hospital and discouraged by varying prognoses from different sources, Dad was depressed, especially about his lack of appetite and energy, and Mom and I oscillated between laughing at his impatience and odd eating experiments and tearing up over the thought of losing him.



On Monday the 9th I met Mom and Dad at the oncologist's office. Though he seemed very nice, Dr. Schlabach was not overly encouraging, I suppose because he didn't want to give us false hope, considering the nature of the beast called pancreatic cancer. The reality of chemotherapy sank in as we visited the large living-room-like area where patients received their chemo infusions. In a couple of weeks, Dad would begin.



Dad inquired about his lack of appetite and subsequent weight loss after surgery. Dr. Schlabach prescribed megase/megestrol, saying, "You need to reverse your weight loss before you begin chemo treatment."



They discussed the regimen, which Dad preferred to do on Friday, in order to recover over the weekend for work the following week. The protocol the doctor follows calls for 3 weeks on, one week off, for a total of 12 treatments over 4 months. The first treatment was scheduled for February 27. Each infusion would take 30 minutes.



Dad asked if he would be able to drive himself to and from the treatments. Dr. Schlabach said,

"See how you feel after the first time."



What side effects could he expect? Usually patients were tired a few days afterward, but most effects were mild. Rarely did patients treated by Gemzar experience nausea, and few lost hair. The blood count could be affected, mostly platelets, but also sometimes the white count. This would be checked prior to treatment. Some patients had fever, ankle swelling, fatigue, sometimes difficulty with wounds healing.



The effectiveness of gemcitabine can increase survival up to 3 years. Good margins from the excision of the cancer--which Dad had--give 23-31% survival, if the drug is administered to all patients. Resectable pancreatic cancers such as Dad's are all potentially curable. Dr. Schlabach felt the lymph nodes, of which Dad had one out of 29 positive, trumped all other factors.

Statistics. Numbers. Not necessarily individual reality.



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Wednesday, February 18

Last Wednesday, the 11th, Mom, Dad, and I returned to Emory for Dad's checkup with Dr. Sarmiento. We stopped in first at the Clinic's lab for the usual pricks and sticks and shot glasses of glucose.

Dad, of course, had plenty of questions for Dr. Sarmiento, who had returned to work, still sick, after going home earlier to rest:

1) Prognosis?

Dr. Sarmiento, like Dad, felt the tumor originated from the IPMN. Proximity made that the likely scenario. This would mean better chance at survival, a good shot at 50%, because the two types are different animals.

The pancreatic pathologist, Dr. Sharma, had pointed out the anatomic path, from the tumor to the nearest lymph node, the only positive one. Dr. Sarmiento encouraged Dad to give her a call.

He indicated the protocols now are to remove more and more nodes. There was no question in his mind he had sampled every lymph node possible from Dad's surgery. He said the studies Dad had looked at had taken place 10-12 years back from the time they were published, so the data for pancreatic cancer survival could be different now. That implied BETTER OUTCOME--but he didn't say that.

2) Appetite?

Dad was concerned about his weight, weight loss, lack of appetite, and lack of energy. Dr. Sarmiento smiled and said, "The two main complaints of patients who undergo this surgery are:
lack of appetite and lack of energy. One day, you'll wake up, and you'll feel different."

3) What activities?

Dad wanted to know whether he could drive or take a tub bath. Dr. Sarmiento said as long as he was off the pain meds, he could do what he felt like doing. He encouraged him to continue his follow-up with the oncologist, typically at 3 months, then again 6 months later, with CT scans when the doctor felt they were appropriate.

Dr. Sarmiento reiterated that all the side effects Dad experienced were normal: fatigue, no appetite, cramping, and soreness. He reminded Dad that only 20-30% of his pancreas had been excised, in the head, and thus he only has a 5% chance of becoming diabetic.

The overall visit was encouraging. Dad celebrated by eating almost a full order of onion rings at IHOP, as well as a pancake breakfast with eggs and bacon. (He didn't eat all the onion rings, because I sneaked two of the small ones.)

A few days later, Dad talked to Dr. Sharma, seeking her confirmation of his chances for survival and a cure. She finally told him, "You're doing well. Just go live your life." And she's right. Steve pointed out he could be jerked around by every opinion he solicits and every study he reads. Tomorrow the Rapture could occur or we could be killed in an accident. There are no guarantees for any of us. That's why we need to make the most of each day.

Meanwhile, Dad has Mom on the internet ordering him books and a Jack LaLanne juicer. Seems he's found this antioxidant vegetable juice recipe that kills cancer cells...but, hey, why not give it a whirl? In the blender.

And he plans to return to work Monday. Good. Now Mom can rest.

Next week--the first gemcitabine [chemotherapy] infusion on Fri., Feb. 27.